The Chosen
by bloodstar
Summary: BuffyRoswell Crossover Buffy dies and is ressurected, yet again. a new slayer was called, but she shares another destiny with someone else...Finished
1. Chapter One

Title:The Chosen  
  
Disclaimer: Um…I'm brokes, so I guess they're not mine. Feel free to give 'em to me, though.  
  
Category: Buffy/Roswell Crossover.  
  
Author's Note: Okey doke! This is my first Roswell fic…well, that actually got this close to the end. Send me feedback if you want *shrugs* No skin off my back. Actually, I'm lying. Send me lots of feedback!!!  
  
It was a cold, still night. Almost every soul was walking the streets, enjoying the stillness and the full moon. A few stayed inside enjoying the warmth of heaters that were hardly used in this usually hot town.  
  
Meanwhile, in a small hose in the heart of the town, seven mourners were gathered in silence, pondering their next action about their deceased companion.  
  
"Can't we do a resurrection spell?"  
  
"It's dangerous Dawn," Willow replied," besides, it didn't work the last time you tried."  
  
"Actually, it did but I tore up the picture, I stopped the spell."  
  
"Well, I suppose it's worth a shot," Giles murmured, fumbling with his glasses.  
  
"Well then," Spike grinned "let's go get us some eggs!"  
  
  
  
They sat in silence at the Crashdown Café, contemplating the events of the past week. The betrayal, discovery and most of all, the pain of the loss of what is, was and might have been.  
  
Suddenly the silence was broken by hysterical laughter. All but Michael looked at her strangely.  
  
"Deluca, have you finally lost it?" Kyle asked.  
  
"Yeah…what have you been sniffing?"  
  
"No-nothing," she choked out between giggles. Suddenly, Michael started laughing, too, leaving the rest of them dumbfounded.  
  
"Okay, what's the joke?"  
  
"It's…just…"  
  
"Ironic, you know?" Michael finished.  
  
"What is?"  
  
"Our life." The couple answered in unison.  
  
"O…kay, what are you on?"  
  
"Czech weed," they replied.  
  
"Okay, is anyone else really freaked out by this?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Michael stayed for me, the one who wanted to leave the most."  
  
"Tess was bad, Courtney was good, Valenti was good, Topolski was good, Nasedo was bad," Michael listed off with his fingers, "irony."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Tess and Nasedo were supposed to be on our side but they planned to kill us."  
  
"Yeah, and Courtney was a Skin. She was supposed to be our enemy and she was on our side…well, Michael's side anyway."  
  
"Anybody else feel out of the loop here?" Kyle asked watching the pair like they had grow three heads.  
  
"Yeah, since when does Michael giggle?" Liz asked. She had to duck from the sudden ice ambush.  
  
"Okay, I want some of that weed."  
  
"Courtney, remember her? She was one of the rebel Skins that thought that Michael should be king instead of Max, hence the puppy-like actions," Maria said after finally calming down. Michael blushed and studied the tabletop.  
  
"Oh…okay," Kyle said, "not that funny though."  
  
"I'm just hyper, don't worry about it," Maria said.  
  
"What's your excuse, Guerin?" asked Kyle. Michael shrugged and they both scowled at Kyle.  
  
"Weird," Max whispered to Liz.  
  
  
  
After a tiring battle to get the eggs (I forget the name) the Scooby Gang headed back to Giles' house. They had just performed the spell and they were waiting for the resurrection of the World's best Slayer.  
  
"So, how long do we have to wait?" asked Tara.  
  
"About an hour." Willow answered.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So, when are we gonna go look for the third Slayer," Spike asked.  
  
"What Slayer?"  
  
"If you've forgotten the rules already, when a Slayer dies, a new one is called. Buffy died…again. There should be another one called."  
  
Just then, the doorbell rang. It was a Fed-Ex guy with a package for Giles.  
  
"What is it?" Willow asked.  
  
"Is it a new cash register?" Anya asked.  
  
"It's from the Watchers' Council." Giles answered as he opened the package, "It's information on the new Slayer."  
  
"Cool, name?"  
  
"Maria Deluca…lives in Roswell, New Mexico."  
  
"Road Trip?"  
  
"No, they sent plane tickets."  
  
"For all of us?" Xander asked.  
  
"Yes, quite strange…"  
  
"What is?"  
  
"They sent eight tickets."  
  
"So?"  
  
"There's seven of us."  
  
"Actually there's eight," a new voice answered from behind them.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"In the flesh."  
  
  
  
It was Friday night and the Crashdown was jam-packed. Maria was stuck in the closing shift with Agnes, the most incompetent waitress alive and the three brats at table five were not helping her mood. She was getting more pissed off by the second. Liz had left her all alone with Agnes on the busiest night in the Crashdown just so she and Max could go restart their googly eyed stare-athon.  
  
"Maria, I'm going on a break."  
  
"WHAT?!! You went on break like five minutes ago. The place is packed!"  
  
Agnes replied by walking out the door and lighting up a cigarette.  
  
"Great, just great."  
  
"Excuse me, miss?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We've been waiting for over ten minutes."  
  
"Sure, sorry. What would you like?"  
  
"Three Sigourney Weavers and three Alien Blasts."  
  
"Okay, it should be ready in ten minutes." Maria turned and stalked off to the back room after handing the cook the order. She was going to kill Liz when she got back. A slow and painful death. Then, she was going to get Max to bring her back so she could restart the process…slower and more painfully. Then, she would get Agnes and treat her to the same fate.  
  
"Am I interrupting something?" a voice asked from behind her.  
  
"Yeah. My plans to mutilate Liz."  
  
"Oh, cool. Can I help?"  
  
"Sure, Michael. Go get an apron."  
  
"I meant with the mutilating."  
  
"Please?" she whined.  
  
"No way."  
  
"Pretty please, Spaceboy?"  
  
"Hell no."  
  
"Come on. I'll make it up to you."  
  
"Fine, but there's no way I'm wearing that skirt thing. It'll make me look fat," he joked.  
  
"Aww, but it'll look so cute."  
  
"So, what do you want me to do?"  
  
"Serve the hungry."  
  
An hour later, the Crashdown was still in its packed state. Michael had long since stopped trying to be nice at customers for tips and went back to his old rude self. Maria was jealous of him though, because the kids in his section were all well behaved after their first encounter with him. He got tips anyway by the shocked parents of the brats. Her section, however, had all the hell spawn imaginable and she was nowhere near as intimidating as her alien counterpart was.  
  
She was brought of her thoughts by a cold sensation running down her chest. One of her brats threw a Blood of Alien Smoothie at her when their parent wasn't looking. You could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. She was seriously pissed. That was the third smoothie she had poured on her, not even considering the two alien blasts and cokes.  
  
"Oh, Honey are you all right?" the brat's mother asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," she ground out as she turned away, "I enjoy being covered in freezing cold drinks." She mumbled.  
  
Michael, who saw that Maria was getting really pissed really fast, decided that it was time for a little extraterrestrial intervention.  
  
"Hey, babe, why don't you go take a break. I'll take care of it."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Go ahead. It'll be fine."  
  
Maria spun on her heel and slid across the floor on some leftover smoothie. She landed flat on her back and let out a cry of rage and frustration. The screech that erupted from the tiny blond was enough to silence the whole restaurant.  
  
"Maria, are you okay?" asked Michael as he stooped down next to her.  
  
"Yeah, just seriously pissed," she grumbled.  
  
"Oh dear," the brat's mother said, "you really should be more careful."  
  
"Yeah," she said to the woman, the she added under her breath, "should've hit you with a tray."  
  
Michael heard her and snickered quietly. He handed her the cypress oil that had fallen out of her pocket when she fell. She unscrewed the cap and inhaled deeply.  
  
"Oh my God! How dare you do drugs in front of my children! This is not proper behavior for a restaurant employee."  
  
"Well, if you don't like the fact that I am using aromatherapy oils to prevent myself from lashing out at you and screaming obscenities at your face, you can get the hell out of the restaurant and return when someone without nerves for you to get on is here instead of me," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice. One she picked up from Topolski. The woman just scoffed in outrage, dropped her money on the table and got the hell out of there with her spawn trailing behind her. Maria got up and looked at the rest of her stunned customers. When she turned her scowl on them they returned to their greasy alien-themed food.  
  
An hour later, the restaurant was semi empty. Only half the tables were occupied. One of which held Isabel, Kyle, Max and Liz, who were staring at each other as per usual. Between the two of them, Michael and Maria had their customers whipped into shape so to speak. Michael was scary looking and half the town heard of Maria's controlled blow out. It was almost closing time and the group was going to have another pity/planning fest due to the fact that they had nothing better to do with their lives, or more like they didn't know what else to do.  
  
At closing time, the last customer had just strolled out the door leaving the lone group to their plans. Michael flopped himself down in the booth next to Isabel.  
  
"What? Being civil to strangers wear you out?" she asked with a laugh.  
  
"Yeah. Remind me never to do that again."  
  
Maria laughed as she made her way to the door to lock up for the night. She was worn out and really frustrated by the previous crowd. Just as she was about to turn the sign to "closed" the door burst open.  
  
"I'm sorry, but we're closed," she said as she tried to push the burly man out. No such luck. The man spun her around and held her against his chest from behind. He pointed the cold barrel of a gun to the side of her head.  
  
"Everybody down!" he shouted, "You! Blondie! Get the dough out of the cash register before I redecorate this place with her brains."  
  
The Pod Squad obliged while a terrified Isabel made her way to the cash register. She began to put the money into a Crashdown bag. Max, Liz and Kyle all looked scared, Michael just looked pissed. Maria had an identically pissed look on her face too. Her face was red with the pent up rage from the day.  
  
Suddenly, she grabbed the man's hand and flipped him over her shoulder. She twisted his arm as he attempted to shoot her. A loud cracking sound was heard in the dead silent room as his arm was broken and shoulder was nearly ripped off his body. Her friends looked on in stunned silence as she proceeded in beating the crap out of the guy. She landed a foot in his backside and another resounding crack was heard. Satisfied that he wasn't moving any time soon, she calmly walked over to the phone and called the sheriff. Michael who was also frustrated and angry walked over and punched the guy again for good measure. Satisfied that he got in on a little of the action, he sat back down at the booth and leaned his head back. Maria immediately planted herself on his lap and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. They both fell into a peaceful sleep.  
  
"Weird," said Kyle.  
  
  
  
The next day, the Pod Squad sat out in the desert, at the quarry where they usually met. They had a lot to talk about. Two of them had a lot of explaining to do.  
  
"So, uh, what happened yesterday," asked Max, finally.  
  
"Agnes was being lazy…" Maria said.  
  
"…And you and Liz were having a stare-athon." Michael continued.  
  
"As per usual," they said in unison.  
  
"Okay, what the hell is up with that?" Isabel asked.  
  
"With what Izzy?" they asked in unison.  
  
"That! The finishing sentences and talking in unison thing. It's really creepy."  
  
"We don't know Iz," Michael said.  
  
"We don't even realize when we're doing it," Maria added.  
  
"It's just… natural," they said together.  
  
"Did you guys plan this or something?" Kyle asked. They scowled at him.  
  
"You guys are acting like each other," Liz said, studying their identical scowls. The perpetual scowl that she thought only Michael could pull off. Apparently Maria could too.  
  
"We do not!" they huffed Maria style.  
  
"Okay, we are not getting anywhere with this," Max said, creeped out by the display, "Maria, when did you learn to fight like that?"  
  
"I don't know," she said, "It was like something inside of me just snapped and all of a sudden I was flipping that guy over my shoulder and landing my foot in his butt, literally."  
  
"You think this is a Czechoslovakian thing?" Michael asked. They all looked at him strangely. Even he looked puzzled by the words that just came out of his mouth.  
  
"This is getting extremely weird," Kyle mumbled to Isabel. She just nodded in response. 


	2. Chapter Two

1 DICLAIMER: Let's see. Here's a list of things I own…………Wow! Wasn't that a long list?  
  
2  
  
3 CHAPTER 2  
  
It was 8:00 p.m. when the Scooby Gang landed in the Albuquerque airport. They were in a rental car on their way to Roswell, New Mexico. Spike was driving and Giles was navigating.  
  
"So, where are we staying once we get there?" Xander asked, staring out the window at the overgrown sandbox they call the desert.  
  
"The council got us a nice big house in town with four bedrooms and a basement."  
  
"Oh goody, I get to live with you blokes," said Spike sarcastically.  
  
"How long do they expect us to stay here?" Willow asked.  
  
" I don't know."  
  
"Could we go a little faster? This landscape is really boring," Dawn complained.  
  
"We'll be there shortly," Giles answered as they passed the 'Welcome to Roswell' sign.  
  
Ten minutes later, they were in the heart of town in search of food. They passed the Crashdown Café and decided to stop. They walked in to the half empty restaurant and took a seat at one of the booths.  
  
"Cool place," Xander remarked as he took in the décor of the place. Aliens everywhere. To say that this town was obsessed would be putting it mildly.  
  
"Hello. Welcome to the Crashdown where all the food is out of this world," a blonde waitress said, handing them the menus, "I'm Maria. What can I get you to drink?"  
  
"Uh, coffee?" Buffy asked. Xander and Willow nodded in agreement.  
  
"I'll just have some tea." Giles said.  
  
"Blood of Alien," Spike said.  
  
"Dawn and I will have Alien Blasts," said Anya, obviously amused by the names.  
  
"I'll have a coke," Tara said quietly.  
  
"Okay, I'll be back to take your orders in a while."  
  
"So, that's her, eh?" asked Spike, checking her out.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Maria returned with their drinks and took their orders. She regarded Spike suspiciously but then shook off the feeling and went back to work.  
  
"Did you see how she looked at Spike?" Buffy asked.  
  
"She can sense him." Giles said.  
  
Soon it was closing time again and the Pod Squad had just arrived. Michael looked at Spike suspiciously but then shook off the feeling and walked off to meet Maria. The Scooby Gang didn't even notice for they were all watching as Maria broke a glass when one of her more annoying customers called her for the billionth time in the past fifteen minutes. It broke when she squeezed it to release some frustration.  
  
"It's her," Giles said, "she has come into her powers."  
  
"So, when do we reveal this interesting fact to her?" Xander asked.  
  
"I suppose now would be quite all right," said Giles as the last patron walked out the door.  
  
"Hey, can I get you anything else?" Maria asked as she returned to the Scooby Gang's table.  
  
"No, no…it's quite all right."  
  
"Well, actually, we're new in town and I was wondering if you could tell us where all the fun's at?" Buffy said.  
  
"Well," said Maria, "there's the UFO center for all you alien obsessed people, and there's Club ET that just opened."  
  
"Okay, thanks." Willow said.  
  
"Yeah, I'm Buffy by the way."  
  
"I'm Maria."  
  
"I'm Willow, that's Xander, Anya, Dawn, Spike, Tara and Giles."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"So, I guess we'll see you around," Xander said.  
  
"Yeah, bye. Well, I've got to go finish closing up."  
  
"Oh, yeah we'll be going now," Willow said as they walked out the door.  
  
"Weird people," Maria said as she locked the door. She walked over to her waiting boyfriend and planted a kiss on his lips.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Ready to go?" they had planned on going out into the desert for no apparent reason. Well, actually, they just wanted to go make out, if you want to be accurate. The desert was the only place they could go where they would have no interruptions. The problems? Max and Liz. They were always coming for advice or crying over the phone. It was really hard to continue macking on the couch after hearing your best friend express their doubts of something they were going to do anyway.  
  
"Where's the Jetta?"  
  
"Mom needed it today, so we have to go pick it up at home," Maria answered as they made their way through the empty streets of Roswell. They walked arm in arm in silence for about five more minutes until they could not take the silence anymore. Neither of them were used to it.  
  
"So, how was work?"  
  
"Okay. There were a bunch of new people," Maria said, "this guy! You should have seen him. Total Billy Idol wannabe!"  
  
"Yeah I saw him. What was up with that?"  
  
"I don't know. You know, he gave me this sort of weird vibe."  
  
"Yeah, me too. I can't explain it."  
  
"Think it's a skin?"  
  
"I don't know. Don't really care now though," he said as they walked down an alley.  
  
A man walked out from the other side of the alley. He was pale and he wore dark clothes. He had his head down. Michael and Maria didn't pay much attention to him until suddenly he raised his hand and about five other men jumped out from a dark corner.  
  
"Oh look, it's dinner," he sneered.  
  
"It's a little but, hey who am I to complain," one of the others said. Michael stood in front of Maria protectively.  
  
"Get the hell away from us," he growled.  
  
"No way, I'm hungry," the man growled as his face became bumpy and his eyes became yellow.  
  
"W-what the hell are they?" Michael and Maria asked each other in unison. Suddenly one of the creatures lunged at Maria. Michael held out his hand, focused his energy and the vampire was dust.  
  
"Oh, a challenge."  
  
Two of them went after Michael while the others went after Maria. Much to their surprise the petite blonde kicked one in the nuts while punching another in the face. Michael smacked his two in the head and banged their heads together. He then raised his hands and set them on fire. He was about to help Maria when five more of them appeared out of nowhere. They went into battle.  
  
Meanwhile, Maria knocked one of the vampires into a wall and then ripped the head off of the other one with her bare hands, literally. He turned to dust as she repeated the process with the other.  
  
At the other end of the alley, a certain Californian blonde watched in amazement as the duo pummeled ten vampires in a matter of minutes. It seemed like a second nature to them.  
  
After the dust settled they made their way back to each other clasped hands and continued their journey. They didn't notice Buffy there until they were five feet away from each other.  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
  
  
"I'm telling you, I saw her rip off his head with her bare hands."  
  
Buffy was explaining to Giles how the new slayer faired in her first, though uninformed, battle. She had brought Maria and Michael back to the house with her and they were sitting in the living room talking with Willow as they waited for Buffy to return from Giles' office/bedroom.  
  
"So, what were those things?" they asked.  
  
"Vampires."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Are demons real too?"  
  
The Sunnydale gang was shocked to say the least. They half expected at least one of them to question their sanity, but here they were taking it as if they said pain hurt.  
  
"Yeah, they are," Spike answered.  
  
"Cool. So why were you guys so shocked?" they asked in unison.  
  
"We expected some laughing, or denial…something," said Willow.  
  
"Oh. We don't surprise easily," they said.  
  
"How do you guys do that?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"That! Talk together. It's like you share a brain or something."  
  
"We don't know…"  
  
"It just…"  
  
"…Happened." Maria finished, intriguing them with their weird…connection. When Giles and Buffy returned, they saw them staring at the newcomers as if they were revealing the secrets to the universe.  
  
"What's up, guys?" asked Buffy.  
  
"Nothing, they're just…interesting." Willow offered.  
  
"Interesting how?"  
  
"They talk…in unison…it's almost…natural to them. And they weren't even surprised by the whole demons thing."  
  
"We're still here you know," Maria said impatiently from the couch. These people just ruined her plans for a romantic evening with Michael. OK fine, a night of making out in the desert, but who's checking?  
  
"Right sorry."  
  
"Well…where do I begin…um…Into each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Well…uh... Buffy here is the Slayer."  
  
"Again, so?"  
  
"Well after a Slayer dies, a new one is called. Buffy died last week but we managed to revive her using a resurrection spell." He paused. "However, during that time, a new Slayer was called. We have reason to believe that you are her."  
  
"What reason is that?"  
  
"You slayed five vampires?"  
  
"So, Michael got eight."  
  
"Yes, well, we don't know why that is. Perhaps that has something to do with this…connection you have."  
  
"What connection?" they asked.  
  
"Nevermind."  
  
"So, why are you guys working with a vampire?" Maria asked, gesturing to the bleached blonde in the corner.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"A feeling," Michael answered, "We got weird vibes off him when he was at the Crashdown."  
  
"Oh. He's harmless. There were these army type guys called the Initiative. They dissected demons in their spare time. They put a chip in Spike's head so he can't hurt living things. Well, except demons," Willow answered.  
  
"Okay, now that that's out of the way," Spike said, "What the hell are you?"  
  
"The Slayer," Maria said.  
  
"Not you, your little boyfriend. He smell's funny, not like anything I've ever smelt before."  
  
"Well, wouldn't want to ruin a good mystery," Michael answered nonchalantly.  
  
"Is that all? Because we had plans," Maria asked.  
  
"I guess we could discuss this tomorrow," Giles said.  
  
"Okay, see ya later," she called as she rushed out the door with Michael.  
  
"Well, that went well."  
  
"What do you think he is?" Willow asked.  
  
"Don't know, but I don't think we're finding out soon," Buffy answered.  
  
  
  
Michael and Maria finally got to her house to get the means to their sanctuary. It was now ten o'clock but that wasn't stopping them from getting some make-out time in. It was like the only time they felt complete was when they were with each other. In close proximity.  
  
As they made their way out to their spot in the desert they thought about the events of the night. They had found out that demons existed and that Maria was the new Vampire Slayer. It was a lot to handle in one night, but they could deal with it in the morning. Right now, they were going to do what they wanted to do the most, be together.  
  
"So what do you think of those guys?" Michael asked as the drove down the deserted road.  
  
"I don't know. I mean, it explains the new strength," Maria said, "though the ability to kick anybody's butt is extremely cool."  
  
"What about the 'connection' thing?"  
  
"Does it bother you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"It doesn't bother me either so why should it bother anyone else?"  
  
"You're right. Screw them."  
  
"But I thought you wanted to be my one and only," she joked as they arrived at their special spot. It was a cave a few yards away from the Pod Cave. They had food, blankets and…other necessities stashed in there already. It became theirs about a week ago when the whole Tess-being-a-lying-bastard thing came out. The only other person who knew of this cave was Kyle. He was the one voted as the least likely to tell Max or Liz considering the fact that he never really talked to them unless it was necessary. Kyle's only purpose was so that at least one person knew where to find them if there was something really important going on.  
  
They let all their thoughts fly out the window as they made their way over to the makeshift bed in the corner.  
  
A figure engulfed in shadows watched them from a distance. 


	3. Chapter Three

CHAPTER 3  
  
Maria woke up out in the desert, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her. She turned slightly to peer at the angelic face that slept beside her. 'Like he could ever look this peaceful when he was awake' she thought.  
  
She ran her fingers through his light brown her making it stand on end. She loved his hair. It was always so soft…softer than hers. She would have to ask him his secret sometime. His eyes fluttered open as he woke up.  
  
"Hey," he whispered.  
  
"Hey," she said as their lips met for a kiss. It was soft and loving.  
  
They lay there in each other's arms until the heat of the desert started to get to them. Slowly, they climbed out of the cave and made their way over to the little red car that was parked outside.  
  
"Well, back to civilization," Maria murmured unhappily as they began to make the trip back into town. Michael leaned into her ear and whispered,  
  
"There's always the night." As he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.  
  
As they neared the small town, the problems of their lives began to return as their bliss began to ebb away. Instead of going home, Maria went to Michael's apartment with him. There, she took a shower and changed into the clothes she kept there for after their late night trysts.  
  
Afterwards they got back into the car and went over to the house where the new secret was revealed. They were anxious to know more about the demons and the Slayer.  
  
"Are you ready?" Michael asked as they pulled up in front of the house.  
  
"As I'll ever be."  
  
"Then let's go," he said. He held her hand as they walked up to the door and knocked. It was a few seconds before the door opened revealing a dusty Willow.  
  
"Hey guys!" she greeted cheerfully.  
  
"Hey," they answered.  
  
"Well, come in." she said stepping away from the door, "Giles wanted to start the training right away so we set up the training room first."  
  
"Training?"  
  
"Yeah, he wanted to assess your skills."  
  
"But training entails exercise which is a hell no."  
  
"You're a Slayer, he's a watcher. It's what you do," she replied as they walked into the newly built training room set up in the basement.  
  
The room was huge. There was a big maroon gymnastics mat in the middle of the floor. In the left corner, there was a maroon punching bag and a cabinet that they could only assume had weapons. On the right there was a dummy with yellow eyes and fangs. Near the back of the room there was a cobble horse.  
  
"Wow." Was all that Maria could say.  
  
"The Council is always prepared."  
  
Michael and Maria exchanged a glance, 'Council?'  
  
"Welcome to the training room," Giles said from behind them.  
  
"Cool," they said.  
  
"Are you ready to begin, Maria?"  
  
"Sure. Let's start with that dummy thing."  
  
"Uh, okay. Take this stake. You must hit all the targets and then stick it through the hole," he explained, "it's a bit like target practice," he continued, "you don't have to be gentle."  
  
"Okay."  
  
She walked up to the dummy and smacked it in the head. The head flew across the room and broke on the wall at the far end of the room.  
  
"Uh…he's dead," she stated quietly.  
  
"Uh…yes, I suppose he is…. Um…not to worry, we'll just start with the punching bag."  
  
"Um, okay," she said uneasily as she approached the bag.  
  
"Okay, I want you to just…punch and kick at random so that I can observe your technique."  
  
She back kicked it and it flew off the wall taking part of the ceiling with it.  
  
"Uh, perhaps we should wait until the room is, um, stronger. Let's just go get some tea and discuss your duties."  
  
"I am so sorry. I-I'll pay the damages."  
  
"It's okay, I'm sure the council could afford it," Buffy said from her seat in the corner. She watched the whole thing and was amazed by her strength.  
  
Michael, Maria, Buffy and Giles all walked up the basement stairs and went into the kitchen where Xander and Anya were making breakfast and Spike was drinking a cup of blood. They greeted the newcomers and then went back to what they were doing.  
  
"Would you like some breakfast?" Giles asked.  
  
"Sure," they said.  
  
"How about some eggos?"  
  
"Yeah. Do you have any tobasco sauce?" Giles looked at them oddly.  
  
"Uh…sure."  
  
After Buffy showed off her amazing culinary skills (putting the Eggos in the toaster) they all sat down at the kitchen table. The California crew watched in disgust as Michael drowned the waffles in maple syrup and Tobasco sauce. Then as he poured Tobasco into his coffee, making it an odd shade of red.  
  
"You want some?" Michael asked when he caught them staring.  
  
"Uh…how does it taste?" Xander ventured.  
  
"Like waffles with maple syrup and Tobasco sauce."  
  
"Believe me, you wouldn't like it," Maria said.  
  
"So, what's the Council?" asked Michael.  
  
"The Watcher's council is an organization that has been around about as long as Slayers," Giles explained, "We Watchers are there to help the Slayer train and inform her about demons and such."  
  
"How long have you been the Slayer, Buffy?"  
  
"About five years."  
  
"You've been fighting ugly things for five years?" Maria asked  
  
"Yeah, and she only died twice," Anya said.  
  
"Died?!!" Michael exclaimed.  
  
"Yes. That is why we have three Slayers now."  
  
"Maria, Buffy and…?"  
  
"Faith. She went bad and I had to put her in a coma. Then when she woke up she switched bodies with me and tried to screw up my life," Buffy listed, "Then she went to LA where my ex boyfriend and her watcher are. She kidnapped Wesley and tortured him until Angel came and convinced her to turn herself in to the police."  
  
"Angel is her vampire ex-boyfriend," Anya filled in.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to kill vampires?"  
  
"This is a long story," Buffy said getting a wistful look on her face. She explained to them her relationship with Angel.  
  
Michael nudged Maria, "Sound familiar?" he whispered. She nodded.  
  
"Why don't you tell us about yourselves?" said Giles.  
  
"Um, okay. I'm Maria and I live with my mom. My boyfriend's name is Michael, my best friend's name is Liz," she listed, "her boyfriend's name is Max, his sister's name is Isabel…yep, that's my circle of friends."  
  
"Okay, thanks for telling us stuff we already know," Anya replied.  
  
"You're wel…wait, what do you mean stuff you already know?"  
  
"The Council knows the basics on you and they sent us that information to help us gain your trust to get you here to tell you your destiny, but since it found you, we didn't really need it."  
  
"So, what else do you know?" Michael asked concerned that they already knew his secret.  
  
"Just what you just told us."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"This is freaky! Liz'll think I'm crazy for sure," Maria said.  
  
"No! You mustn't tell anyone else. It is very dangerous for a slayer let alone humans."  
  
Michael and Maria shared a knowing smirk.  
  
"This sure looks like a whole lot of nobody," they said gesturing to the room full of friends Buffy told.  
  
"Yes well…"  
  
"Then I'm at least telling Liz."  
  
"Okay, I just thought it fair to warn you about the dangers."  
  
They spent the next hour discussing the demons and training. They picked out training times and strategies.  
  
"So, we'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah, bye!" Maria called as she and Michael pulled out of the driveway.  
  
Next Day at School…  
  
"Stupid piece of crap!" Maria yelled. Her locker was stuck, again. She yanked on the handle and the whole door ripped off.  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
"Hey Maria…what happened to your locker?" Liz asked.  
  
"It got stuck, now it's unstuck," she said as she pulled her books out.  
  
"How did you do that? It's made of iron."  
  
"Cheap thing."  
  
"Okay, so I have to get to class but I'll see you at lunch, okay?"  
  
"Yeah sure." Maria grumbled as Liz walked off. Maria turned and stalked off to Chemistry or the class from hell, as she liked to refer to it. Thank God it was the period before lunch or she might have to stake somebody.  
  
After staring at the clock for an hour and wishing for Mr. Davidson to drop dead, the bell finally rang. Maria ran out of the classroom as soon as she got the chance.  
  
Michael was waiting for her out in the Quad. He had the period before free, or so he says, so he was just drawing outside and humming to himself. Maria wrapped her arms around him from behind.  
  
"Hey spaceboy." He turned around.  
  
"Hey earthgirl," he whispered before pulling her in for a kiss. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.  
  
"Go away, Izzy," they mumbled, not even bothering to look at the offender.  
  
"Yeah right," she said as she sat on the bench across from them, "You know, people are staring."  
  
"So? Charge admission," Michael mumbled sucking on Maria's neck. Isabel rolled her eyes.  
  
"Could you stop sucking face for one minute?" she asked getting annoyed.  
  
"Fine. What do you want?" Michael asked finally looking in her direction.  
  
"Max wants us to meet behind the bleachers now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He said Liz wanted to tell us something."  
  
"Okay," they groaned getting up off the bench and heading over to the football field behind Isabel. When they got there, they saw that Liz, Kyle and Max were already there.  
  
"Okay, what's the emergency," Michael asked in his once perpetually annoyed voice.  
  
"I, uh, have to tell you guys something."  
  
"What is it Liz?" Max asked.  
  
"Max, do you remember when you came over to my balcony with the mariachi band?"  
  
"Yeah," Max said, blushing lightly at the amused gaze Michael sent his way.  
  
"That night, a future version of you came to me. He told me the world would end if we were together."  
  
"How?" Max asked.  
  
"He said that because we were together, Tess left and she was vital to your survival. He said that I had to make you fall out of love with me so Tess would stay but…she left anyway," Liz said, tears coming to her eyes. Everyone stood there in silence absorbing this information. Finally Michael broke the silence.  
  
"How did he get here?" he asked.  
  
"The granolith."  
  
"And now it's gone," Isabel cried, "we can't even use it to save Alex."  
  
"This is all my fault," Liz whispered as she started to cry.  
  
"It isn't your fault," Maria said.  
  
"Tess was probably a traitor then too…"Michael continued.  
  
"She probably turned them over in that life."  
  
"And they killed us 'cause they knew our weaknesses," Michael finished.  
  
"You're right," Max said hugging Liz close, "it's not your fault, Liz."  
  
"Thanks guys, I feel a lot better now."  
  
"De nada," Michael and Maria said in unison.  
  
"Okay, that is seriously creeping me out," Kyle said.  
  
"What is?" they asked in unison.  
  
"That! The talking in unison thing. What the hell is that about?"  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"Maybe we should discuss that at the Crashdown later."  
  
"We can't. There's a dinner party there tonight."  
  
"Okay, Michael, your place?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Okay, we'll meet at Michael's at eight."  
  
"Oh crap, I can't," Maria said, "How about three?"  
  
"Okay. That good with everybody?"  
  
They all agreed and then went their separate ways.  
  
"So what do you have now?" Maria asked Michael.  
  
"Music, you?"  
  
"Art."  
  
"Well, I'll see you in English?"  
  
"Sure. Are you coming with me to Giles'?"  
  
"You know it."  
  
"Bye baby.  
  
"Bye." They kissed and went to their separate classes as the bell rang.  
  
Michael walked down the hall to room 345 where the music room was situated. He never really liked that class. He couldn't sing and he couldn't play any instruments. He only went because it was the second easiest class next to art, well, when Ms. Hanson didn't try to teach them theory.  
  
"Good afternoon class, today we will all be singing," she said cheerfully as she entered the class. There was a series of groans from the people in class who knew they couldn't sing and those who just didn't want to, "And I mean everybody. No lip-synching."  
  
Michael leaned over to Kyle who was also stuck in this class, "What the hell is her problem?"  
  
"Who knows. She probably doesn't value her ears," he snickered as she handed out the song sheets.  
  
"My Favorite things. The irony of it all," Michael remarked.  
  
"Oh my favorite song in the world," Kyle said sarcastically.  
  
"And since Mr. Guerin and Mr. Valenti enjoy the selection so much, perhaps they would like to demonstrate to the class how it goes."  
  
The class snickered as the two teens slowly made their way to the front of the class. Ms. Hanson played the familiar introduction as they stood there uncomfortably. Kyle was a mediocre singer and he was pretty sure Michael couldn't sing a note.  
  
"Ready Guerin?"  
  
"After you Valenti."  
  
"Now!"  
  
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things," Kyle sang, without the help of Michael.  
  
"Mr. Guerin, you must sing this verse alone since you failed to sing the other," Ms. Hanson said, not missing a beat on the piano. Kyle smirked at the alien. There was no way he would live this down.  
  
"Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles, wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, these are a few of my favorite things," Michael sang surprisingly well.  
  
"Skip to the end!"  
  
"When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad. I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad," Michael finished. Kyle was too busy watching him in shock. The rest of the class was in equal shock, including Ms. Hanson.  
  
"Bravo, Mr. Guerin," she finally exclaimed when she got over the initial shock. The rest of the class started applauding the now very embarrassed, seriously confused alien.  
  
"Didn't know you could sing Guerin," Kyle said after they returned to their seats.  
  
"I can't," Michael said, shocked by his own voice.  
  
"Don't got to be modest with me."  
  
"I wouldn't. I know I can't sing. Ask Max and Izzy."  
  
  
  
Maria sat in the Art room on a stool in front of her easel. Mr. Browning, the Art teacher instructed them to draw their favorite memory. Maria hated Art. It was more Michael's subject. He could draw unlike her. Her greatest masterpiece was in sixth grade when they were doing abstract art. All she had to do was draw squiggly lines and she got marks. Now they actually wanted the squiggly lines to resemble something.  
  
'Oh well,' she thought, 'might as well try.'  
  
She closed her eyes and tried to come up with her favorite memory. There wasn't really a wide range of choices. The winner hands down was the day Michael stayed on Earth to be with her. When she, Liz and Kyle were banging on the cave wall, thinking they were too late, when all of a sudden the wall opens and out comes Michael into the early morning light.  
  
'Hope I do you justice, Spaceboy,' she thought as she began to draw. She started slowly, first starting with the cave where the love of her life was born. The black pencil strokes making no sense to anyone as of yet.  
  
She didn't notice when Mr. Browning came over to stand behind her. She just continued to sketch and paint Michael standing at the entrance of that cave. The only thing she thought of was Michael. After a half-hour of painting, the scene began to look more and more lifelike.  
  
By then, Mr. Browning was standing there mesmerized by the passion with which she painted the image. He had only seen one other student paint with such love and determination. He never thought he would come across such talent twice in one school year. Now that he thought of it, the image before him looked like that young artist.  
  
'Teen infatuation,' he thought as he continued to watch.  
  
After finishing her mediocre painting of Alex, Isabel became extremely bored. She wasn't as good at art as Michael; but then again, she wasn't as bad as Maria was. She looked over her shoulder and saw Mr. Browning staring at someone's easel. She couldn't see who it was because the easel blocked her view of the person's head.  
  
She got up and walked over to the painter that had Mr. Browning so entranced. To her shock, it was Maria. And her painting was great! She didn't recognize the scene, but she knew the setting well. It was the pod cave and Michael was just coming out of the darkness into the light of day. The colors, the lighting, the expression were perfect. It was of Michael quality, but she could have sworn that Maria couldn't draw, let alone paint to save her life.  
  
"Weird," she mumbled, examining the painting closely. It was an exact replica of Michael.  
  
Maria stared at her painting with awe and confusion. She was sure she couldn't paint. She didn't have an artistic bone in her body, and she had the grades to prove it. She was pulled out of her reverie by a sigh behind her.  
  
"This," said Mr. Browning, "is a wonderful piece."  
  
"Uh, thanks."  
  
"Where have you been hiding this talent all this time, Maria?" he asked, amazed at the craftsmanship, "this is a beautiful portrait of Michael. I have not seen paintings of such… quality from anyone but Mr. Guerin," he continued.  
  
"Uh…thanks," she repeated as the bell rang, "well, I've gotta go, English…Uh bye."  
  
She ran out of there as fast as she could. Where the hell did that come from? She couldn't draw, Michael drew!  
  
  
  
Michael sat in room 129 in a daze. He couldn't figure out where his sudden singing ability came from. How do you go from musically impaired to 'best singer in class' in ten minutes? It was impossible. He knew he couldn't sing. Singing was Maria's thing. He stared off into space as some blonde cheerleader from his class was trying to flirt with him. He looked to the door just as Maria walked in. she looked as confused as he felt.  
  
"Get up," he grunted.  
  
"What?" the cheerleader asked.  
  
"Get up, you're in Maria's seat." He said gruffly.  
  
"Whatever," she said. She got up and went to another seat in the corner. Maria sat in her seat and stared off into space with Michael, identical looks of confusion etched on their faces.  
  
"Hey guys, what's up?" Max asked as he took his seat in front of Michael.  
  
"Weirdness," they said in unison.  
  
"Okay," Max said and turned around when the teacher walked in the room.  
  
  
  
"Okay, what was this meeting for? I forgot," Kyle asked.  
  
"The reason Michael and Maria are creeping the hell out of us," Isabel answered.  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
The six teens were crammed in Michael's small apartment yet again. It was the second meeting for the week…and it was still Monday!  
  
"Maxwell," Maria said.  
  
"We gotta have less meetings," Michael finished. They both crossed their arms and stared at Max. Max looked between the two of them.  
  
"Oh god," Kyle groaned.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Now there's two Guerins…"  
  
"Oh my God! Maria, are you pregnant?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"I didn't mean that, Isabel," Kyle said, "I mean, look at them. They are both taking up the defensive Michael stance."  
  
"Huh?" Liz asked looking between her friends, then back at Kyle.  
  
"So they've been hanging around each other too much, so what?" said Isabel.  
  
"Haven't you noticed?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That we are starting to become the same person," they finally spoke, tired of staring down Max. It was way too easy.  
  
"Has anything weirder than the speaking together and finishing each other's sentences happened?" Max finally asked.  
  
"Well, today I actually drew Michael…and it looked like him," Maria said, proud of herself.  
  
"To you, or to everyone else too?" Liz asked.  
  
"I saw it, it looked exactly like him, even Mr. Browning recognized him."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Maria can't draw crap! She could barely draw stick people," Liz exclaimed.  
  
"It was…Michael quality."  
  
"Weird, how could that happen?"  
  
"Who knows," Isabel said, "what about you, Michael?"  
  
"Yeah, am I the only one who noticed that every girl in school was trying to flirt with you?" Max asked.  
  
"Yeah, I was wondering why myself," said Michael, "It's like they like to be ignored or something."  
  
"That, or they heard about Music class," said Kyle smirking.  
  
"What happened?" asked Liz.  
  
"We got called up to sing in front of the class by Ms. Hanson."  
  
Max and Isabel looked at each other trying to hide their smiles but to no avail. They burst into fits of small giggles, which escalated into full on scandalous laughter.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked Liz, ever the clueless one.  
  
"Mi…Michael…singing," Max choked out.  
  
"Last time I checked, he sounded worst than a cat in the middle of the highway," Isabel giggled, "trapped in hot tar."  
  
"That ain't what I heard," Kyle said.  
  
"Better or worse?" Max asked wiping the tears from his eyes.  
  
"Can't be worse," Isabel giggled.  
  
"Lots better," Kyle said, "guy's damn boyband material. Would chicks be chasin' him if he sounded like crap?"  
  
"But…Michael has never been able to sing," said Isabel, "Remember that Christmas, Max?"  
  
"Yeah, he refused to sing carols with us, so Mom and Dad said that if he wanted tobasco sauce on anything for dinner, he had to sing."  
  
"So, what happened?" Kyle asked.  
  
"He sang," said Isabel, trying to hold back the giggles, "the neighbors' dogs refused to stop howling until he stopped."  
  
The whole room burst into laughter, well, except for Michael who was scowling at the memory.  
  
"Dad gave him fifty bucks to never sing again," Max laughed.  
  
"Like I was planning to anyway," Michael grumbled.  
  
"Ooh, show me, Spaceboy," Maria said, excited.  
  
"No."  
  
"Aw come on."  
  
"Nuh uh."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Hell no."  
  
"Pretty pretty please? Or I'll beat the crap out of you."  
  
"Fine, come here," he acquiesced. Maria came to stand in front of him and he touched her face and closed his eyes. He thought of that night eight years ago.  
  
Maria saw flashes of his memories of that night. It was hilarious just as Max and Izzy had said, but they left out one important detail. Maria laughed out loud as the visions ended. The others stood there watching her.  
  
"That good huh?" Kyle joked.  
  
"You guys left out part," she choked out.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The part where he got revenge."  
  
"He turned our hair green, not that funny," said Isabel.  
  
"That's the part he told you about. He told you it was paint."  
  
"It was, it washed right out."  
  
"Where the hell would I get green paint, I used my powers, just made it washable."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"For the second part of my revenge," he said with a mischievous grin as he remembered his revenge.  
  
"Which was…?"  
  
"He took dog crap from outside and melted it in your shampoo," Maria said before she burst into a fit of laughter.  
  
"YOU WHAT?!" Isabel screeched putting her hand on her head. Liz struggled to keep from laughing. Kyle rolled on the floor laughing hysterically.  
  
"Brilliant!" Kyle exclaimed high fiving Michael, "that was the prank of all pranks."  
  
"I can't believe you!" Isabel screamed hitting him on the arm.  
  
"Duh! Why'd you think dogs followed you around for a month straight?"  
  
"Oh my God!" Maria exclaimed, "You didn't show me that!"  
  
"Can't spoil the story babe."  
  
By now, Liz was laughing so hard she had tears running down her cheeks and she could barely breathe. Kyle was hunched over holding his sides, his imagination running away from him as he tried to imagine the dogs following Isabel everywhere.  
  
"Hail Queen Isabel, the dog queen!" Kyle laughed. Isabel tapped him upside the head. The rest of the group laughed.  
  
"That was mean Michael," Max said.  
  
"But oh so fun," said Michael.  
  
"Okay, I think we're a little off topic here," Max said, "When did you notice this…change?"  
  
"About two weeks ago," they said.  
  
"Okay, did you do anything…unusual back then?"  
  
They both blushed and studied the floor.  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"Man are y'all dense," Kyle exclaimed, "They got some, duh!"  
  
"Got wha…oh my God, Michael!" Isabel shouted, "how could you?"  
  
"What do you care what I do?"  
  
"We don't know what could happen!"  
  
"If we all recall, we weren't the first to go all the way," Maria stated.  
  
"Same and interspecies mating are two different things."  
  
"Everybody calm down," said Liz, "We all knew it would happen eventually."  
  
"Fine," Isabel agreed reluctantly, "but I'm not baby-sitting any of their spawn."  
  
"I'm not preggers Izzy," Maria reassured, "Just…lending Spaceboy some of my brain."  
  
And so they continued for the next hour, discussing without getting anywhere as they often did.  
  
  
  
Later that evening, the sky was clear and the air that surrounded the sleepy town began to cool. Most of the teenagers drained the boredom left over from a full day at school at their usual haunts. Having fun after the worst day of the week, Monday. Everyone in their right mind hated Monday. It was the end of two days of fun and the beginning of five days of torture.  
  
That day, three teens, three college students, two townies and two old British guys met at a large modern house on Maple Avenue.  
  
"Okay, since the training room is not yet up to par, we shall start with some yoga exercises."  
  
"Do I have to do it too?" Buffy groaned.  
  
"Um, no, it's quite all right," Giles said, "Buffy, you can train Michael in the fighting area."  
  
"Sparring? Sweet."  
  
"I don't hit girls," Michael stated.  
  
"It's okay, I can handle it," Buffy said, semi-sarcastically, "and I promise I won't beat you down too hard."  
  
"Go ahead, Spaceboy," Maria urged, "Just…pretend it's Lonnie."  
  
"Okay," he acquiesced. They made their way to the center of the mat and stood facing each other.  
  
"Okay," Buffy began, "I want you to counter whatever I do. Whenever I expand, you contract."  
  
Michael nodded like he knew what she was talking about and then imitated a fighting stance he saw on TV. Xander, Anya and Spike sat on the sidelines to watch the show.  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
"Bring it on."  
  
Buffy took a deep breath, then fired a punch at his gut. He grabbed her arm before it could reach its destination and twisted it. She tried to back kick him but he ducked and kicked her feet out from under her. She gave a surprised yelp and landed flat on her back.  
  
She jumped up and began using half strength on the alien. He countered every kick, blocked every punch and tried to avoid hitting her as much as possible. Eventually, he flipped her over his back and pinned her on the mat.  
  
"Are we done yet?" he asked.  
  
"Not even close," she growled as she pushed him off and started on him at full strength. The fighting continued for another half-hour until Michael got fed up and flung her across the room. She slammed into the wall and stared at him with wide surprised eyes.  
  
There was a lone pair of hands clapping as Michael helped her to her feet and her friends stood there in shock. Everyone turned to Anya who was still the only one clapping.  
  
"That was a good show!" she exclaimed, "We should tape them and sell it. Then I can count all the money."  
  
"The last time I had a fight like that was with Faith."  
  
"That was amazing," said Giles, obviously in shock, "Buffy, were you holding out?"  
  
"At first, but after the second time he took me out, I started using full strength."  
  
"Have you had combat training, Michael?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Never in my twelve years of existence," he answered.  
  
"You're twelve?" Xander exclaimed.  
  
"No."  
  
"He, uh, just doesn't remember the first six years."  
  
"So I just count it as twelve."  
  
"Oh, okay," Xander said. An alarm went off from upstairs.  
  
"Patrol time. You guys want to come?" They glanced at each other, then shrugged.  
  
"Might as well," they said. Giles handed them all stakes and led them out the door.  
  
They walked to the Roswell Cemetery in silence, letting the cool desert breeze wash over them. Michael shifted his gaze to the stars that shone brightly in the clear night sky. He looked at his constellation, the five star formation that sat in the clear blackness of space, where his people lived. Then he looked back down at the blond pixie that walked beside him, the one who saved his-their- lives from the execution that awaited at 'home'. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she leaned into him.  
  
Buffy looked on in pain and envy. Why couldn't she find a love like theirs? Her love life sucked. Everyone left her.  
  
"We know what it is like to feel left behind, unloved," they said, as if sensing her train of thought.  
  
"How do you know that? What I was thinking."  
  
"We can sense your loneliness. We've felt it ourselves."  
  
"Okay, y'all are really creeping me out."  
  
"Okay, we'll stop," they said.  
  
"Could you stop doing that?"  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"That. Talking in unison."  
  
"We'll…"  
  
"Try."  
  
They finally arrived at the Cemetery and made their way to the center of the newly dug graves.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Maria asked as she perched herself on a headstone.  
  
"We wait."  
  
"Oh what fun." There was five minutes of silence.  
  
"This is really boring," Maria said.  
  
"It's like…watching the life of Max on a loop," Michael said.  
  
"With no food to occupy you."  
  
"Before he got with Liz last year."  
  
"God, I would not subject even my worst enemies to that kind of torture," Maria exclaimed.  
  
"So, who's Max?" Buffy asked.  
  
"My best friend."  
  
"My best friend's…are they together or no?" Maria asked.  
  
"Don't know…hasn't been PMSing in a awhile so I guess they're together."  
  
"Okay then, my best friend's boyfriend…most likely."  
  
"What's he like?"  
  
"Controlling…"  
  
"Power trippy…"  
  
"Lovesick…"  
  
"Puppy doggish…"  
  
"Stalker like when he's ready…"  
  
"Almost as stubborn as Spaceboy…"  
  
"Chick flick worthy…"  
  
"Okay okay, I get it!"  
  
"That's Maxwell for you, not much to get." There was another five minutes of awkward silence before Michael and Maria could take it no longer. They inched closer to each other until they were once again attached at the mouth. Buffy had gone to survey the area and they had nothing better to do.  
  
"Good thing you teenagers never want to get a room," a voice said from behind. They detached from each other and turned to stare at the owner.  
  
It was a big, ugly, slimy thing with ooze dripping out of its head from an unidentifiable place and sharp yellow teeth sticking out from beneath his snarling purple lips. His red face covered in bumps and spikes. He was about twice the size of Michael.  
  
"Oh my God," Maria whispered.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Michael whispered.  
  
"Your death." Michael raised an eyebrow at the demon.  
  
"Very original," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, so you're gonna be rude sacrifices are you?"  
  
"Oh, smart ugly thing," Maria said.  
  
"Enough of this crap," the demon said as he started to advance on the 'unsuspecting teenagers'. He grabbed Michael and put him in a headlock. Michael flung his head backward into the demon's chin trying to loosen his grasp on his neck. Maria watched Michael's struggle, the rage building.  
  
"Run!" he gasped.  
  
"No!" she screamed. She jumped up onto a headstone and launched herself onto his head. She dug at his eyes with her nails. The demon screamed in pain, but didn't let Michael go. He instead just backed into a tree to knock Maria off. She let go of his neck and rammed her foot into his backside. Michael stamped on his toe and kicked him in his shin. The demon loosened his grip enough for Michael to get one of his hands free. Meanwhile, Maria was smacking the demon upside the head as hard as she could and was slowly knocking it out. Michael bent over and flipped the demon onto the ground. Maria stamped her foot on his nuts and was pleased to hear the sickening crack. Michael put his hand on his chest and concentrated. Suddenly, the demon started thrashing and then went limp. Michael looked up just in time to see Maria faint.  
  
"Holy crap! Maria?" Michael called, "come on baby, wake up."  
  
He put her head in his lap and shook her gently. He smoothed the hair back from her face. He rested his hand on her cheek and closed his eyes wishing he could heal her like Max. His eyes jolted open when he heard a small groan.  
  
"Michael?" she groaned.  
  
"I'm right here, baby, it'll be okay," he whispered, stroking her hair, "what happened?"  
  
"I-I was fighting and, um, I started to feel drained or something. Then I blacked out and was…floating, kind of, like there was no energy for me to move any other way," she said softly, enjoying the feel of his gentle touch, "then, it was like I was getting more energy, like…"  
  
"Your energy was regenerating?"  
  
"No, like I got some more, from…somewhere."  
  
"Must be a slayer thing," he said.  
  
"Yeah, maybe."  
  
"Can you stand?"  
  
"Yeah, I feel fine."  
  
"You sure? You just fainted."  
  
"I'm good…hey, where's Buffy?"  
  
"I don't know, let's go look."  
  
They stood up slowly and walked side by side to the part of the cemetery where they saw Buffy last. There was no moon out, making the cemetery eerier than usual. The trees cast long shadows across the death stricken ground. All was silent save the grunting among the trees.  
  
They rushed into the brush to see what was disturbing the peace. The noises became louder as they came upon a clearing. There they saw Buffy fighting off a hoard of vampires.  
  
"Oh my God, Michael, do you have a stake?"  
  
"No, hold on." He bent down and grabbed a thick tree branch. He used his powers to break it in half and sharpen it into stake perfection. With weapons in hand, they went onwards into the fray. They started fighting just as Buffy was thrown into a tree by one of the bigger vampire. Maria ran behind him and staked the bastard while Michael fought off two others. Three more vampires went after Maria. She punched one in the nose and back kicked another in the gut. She spun around and staked the other through the heart. Then she kicked one in the nuts and launched herself over his back and kicked off his partner's head while he was still hunched over in pain. She dropped to the ground, grabbed her stake and rammed it through his heart. She looked around for more victims, but only saw Michael standing over a moaning, crumpled form.  
  
"Is she okay?" was the last thing Maria thought before she fell to the ground in a heap. Michael rushed to her side and rested her against the tree next to Buffy.  
  
"Come on, Maria, wake up," he whispered stroking her cheek as he did before. His fingers began to glow and she slowly began to wake up. Buffy also began to stir next to her.  
  
"Come on, we should go home," he whispered. Maria and Buffy nodded and slowly got to their feet.  
  
  
  
"Man, do I have a headache," Buffy exclaimed, "I feel like an elephant did a tap-dance on my head."  
  
"Really?" Maria said, "it's more like a rhinoceros playing doctor on my head while Mariah Carey sang all her singles in my ear from a megaphone."  
  
The two slayers were lying on couches in the living room with ice packs on their heads. Michael sat on the floor next to Maria's head.  
  
"I feel fine," Michael said.  
  
"You would," Maria mumbled.  
  
"Why is that?" Buffy asked sitting up to face Michael, "We should feel better than you, we're slayers, you're human."  
  
Maria snorted.  
  
"Space boy's got a hard head."  
  
"So, Giles, any leads on the demon?"  
  
"Yeah, is this it?" he asked showing them a picture in the book. They both nodded. He turned the book back towards himself and skimmed the paragraph.  
  
"It's an Argora demon…" he started.  
  
"Like the sweater?" Xander asked.  
  
"No, Argora not Angora."  
  
"Well, what do you think he wanted," Michael asked, "He said something about needing sacrifices."  
  
"He probably wants to end human life, right?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Actually, it says here that the Argora is often the catalyst of most revolutions," he explained.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Prophesies," he stated, "are not possible to be made. Very few life forms can predict the future. Most prophets are fakes. The most interesting prophecies are acted upon by the Argora demons. They make spells to make them come true. It's their form of entertainment."  
  
"So they make the fake prophecies come true?" Willow asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But then doesn't that make them real?" Michael asked.  
  
"Well…yes, I suppose," said Giles.  
  
"Then what's the point in there having real and fake prophesies if they all come true anyway because of the demons," Maria asked.  
  
"Um…I'm not quite sure," said Giles.  
  
"That doesn't matter right now," Buffy said, "We need to find out what they're up to. What's the new prophesy that's going around these days?"  
  
"We'll have to do some research."  
  
"Well, let's get it started," Xander said.  
  
Everyone grabbed a couple of Giles' big stinky books and went into different corners of the room. Michael and Maria went to one side near the window under the stars. Willow, Tara and Buffy sat on the floor in front of the couch. Anya sat on Xander's lap in front of the unlit fireplace. Giles and Dawn sat at the table with the rest of the books.  
  
After going through his two books at a speed that was not humanly possible, Michael began to nibble on Maria's neck. She was settled between his legs with her back resting against his chest. Her eyes drifted shut and she rolled her neck to give him better access. She moaned softly at the feel of his soft lips against her warm neck. She slammed her book shut and turned to kiss him full on the lips. Their kisses grew passionate as they became absorbed in each other and basically forgot about the mission at hand.  
  
"Well that's real considerate," Willow grumbled when she saw the heavy make out session that was at one end of the room.  
  
"Ahem," Buffy said as she walked up to the couple. They ignored her. "Hello!" They continued to make out like nobody's business. Buffy finally gave up on doing it the nice way. She went into the kitchen and returned with a jug of ice water.  
  
"I think you guys need a cold shower," she said as she poured the water on their heads.  
  
"What the hell!" they yelped. They both turned and gave Buffy identical glares.  
  
"We have prophecies to find! Save the making out for the janitor's closet at school. Did you even read the book?"  
  
"Yeah. They mentioned three prophecies but they're all in Latin and I can't read that," said Michael.  
  
"I found another one in some other language," said Maria.  
  
"And you didn't tell us because…"  
  
"You guys look like you enjoy research," they said in unison.  
  
Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes, "Well, I guess Giles and Willow enjoy that crap."  
  
"Well, bring the prophecies here," Giles said, "Let me see if I can translate them."  
  
"Well, anything?" Buffy asked after he finished looking at them.  
  
"These are just partial prophecies which, as far as I can tell, have been fulfilled already."  
  
"You mean I read that boring book for nothing?" Maria whined.  
  
"Holy crap! Look at the time. Your mom is gonna freak," Michael said.  
  
"Yeah, we better go," Maria said as she got her jacket.  
  
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Giles said, "We can meet here tomorrow to train. The room should be ready by then."  
  
"Okay. See you then."  
  
"Bye."  
  
They walked out of the house and got in the Jetta. Michael turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the curb.  
  
"So, want to come to my place? My mom's out of town." 


	4. Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
It was the last week of school and the Pod Squad was gathered in the Quad for lunch. Michael was sitting on the grass, leaning against a big tree. Maria lay on the grass with her head in Michael's lap while he played with her hair. Max and Kyle were discussing football, although Max seemed to be more interested at pretending not to stare at Liz. Isabel, Liz and Maria were talking about the upcoming end-of-school party that Lisa Desuza was throwing, although Liz seemed to be more interested in pretending not to stare at Max.  
  
Michael just sat there and observed his circle of friends. They were an unlikely group. A jock, a dork, a spaz, a brain, a princess and a loner. Two geeks, two loud mouths and two popular people, all joined by one secret…one betrayal. Three from perfect and three from broken homes with a strong connection that is only broken by death.  
  
'We're like a gang' he thought grimly, 'the only way to leave is in a body bag.'  
  
Maria rolled over and looked at him, "Nice analogy, Spaceboy," she said.  
  
The others just looked at her in confusion.  
  
"What analogy?"  
  
"If you want to know you should have been listening."  
  
"But Michael didn't say anything," Isabel said.  
  
"Yeah he did, he said we're like a gang…"  
  
"No, he was just sitting there," Isabel said.  
  
"I'm pretty sure I heard him," she said.  
  
"How are we like a gang?" Liz asked.  
  
"The only way to leave is in a body bag," Maria and Michael said.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Michael, are you sure you spoke?" Isabel asked not letting it go.  
  
"Not really, I know I was thinking about it, I don't really remember saying it though."  
  
"Okay, we'll just chalk it up to Deluca-Guerin- post-hot-alien-nookie weirdness," Kyle said. Michael and Maria looked at each other and shrugged. Just then, the warning bell rang. Max and Liz got up immediately and went off to class like the good little students they were while the rest of the school lingered for a while before the real bell rang.  
  
"So, do you guys want to meet in at the Crashdown after closing today?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Uh, um, we can't we kinda had plans," Maria said.  
  
"Oh," she said disappointed, "see you then." She headed out in the direction of the school and went to class.  
  
"I wish I could tell them," Maria said quietly.  
  
"Are you ready to tell them?" Michael asked.  
  
"No. I know they'll want to help and…I don't want them to get hurt," she said leaning against his chest.  
  
"They'll know soon enough with your big mouth," he whispered playfully. She turned around and smacked him on the arm. Then leaned back on his chest. He placed a kiss on her forehead.  
  
Class forgotten, or rather ignored, they went to the parking lot and headed over to Buffy's.  
  
  
  
It was seven o'clock on Friday night when Liz, Isabel and Maria were in Liz's room getting ready for the party. They had all been looking forward to going all week. It was a break from the gloom and doom of being in the Pod Squad.  
  
Isabel sat at the vanity, fixing her hair with her special 'technique'.  
  
"What do you think of this?" Her long blond her was pulled up into a bun, long tendrils hung about her face.  
  
"Too dressy," Maria said. Isabel passed her hand over her head and it fell back down, straight. She stared at the mirror, then crimped her hair. She grunted in displeasure and returned her hair to its original, natural style. Maria walked up behind her and put her hands up on her head.  
  
"How about glitter," she said. Her hands began to glow and Isabel's hair shone with the sparkly goodness of glitter.  
  
"Better…wait, how'd you do that?"  
  
"Do what?…Oh my God!"  
  
"What's up, you guys?" Liz asked as she walked into the bedroom from the adjoining bathroom. She wore a light blue halter-top and a pair of tight black jeans.  
  
"Maria…"  
  
"I did something Czechoslovakian." She walked over to Liz and put her hands on her top making it glittery.  
  
"Oh my God! H-how did this happen?"  
  
"I don't know, we'll discuss it later. Now, let's just get ready for the party."  
  
The three girls got ready and then sat on Liz's bed talking.  
  
"So, how're things going with Max?" Isabel asked.  
  
"They're okay. I really think that things are going to be okay."  
  
'Good. Now maybe you two'll stop nagging me and Michael for advice,' Maria thought to herself.  
  
'They're back together? Thank god! Now I won't have to change my phone number,' Michael's voice said in her head.  
  
'Hey, Spaceboy. When are you guys getting here?'  
  
'We're almost there so get ready for your big entrance.'  
  
'Okay, see ya'  
  
"Maria? Earth to Maria!" Isabel was saying, waving her hand in Maria's face. She had been calling her for the past five minutes.  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
"You zoned out on us," Liz said, "it's like you weren't even here."  
  
"I, uh, was talking to Michael," then to avoid comment she added, "they're almost here, get a move on!"  
  
"Oh my god! I'm not even done with my hair!"  
  
"Come here," said Isabel. She turned to Maria, "we are so gonna talk about this later."  
  
Maria groaned in protest. Isabel waved her hand over Liz's hair and styled it instantly. Just then, the doorbell rang and they could hear Mrs. Parker let the boys in. They sauntered out to the living room to meet their guys. Jaws dropped to signify the beginning of the evening.  
  
They went out into the dark, cool night and headed over to the school year's last hoorah. Michael and Max took Maria and Liz in the Evans' new Jeep Wrangler and Kyle took Isabel in his Mustang.  
  
When they got there the party was already in full swing. The music was loud and the alcoholically impaired were puking on the front lawn. Colored lights flashed from within the reasonably packed house. Only the fact that the house was huge made the large mass of cars that surrounded the tri- block area an unsurprising feat considering this was only a house party.  
  
As soon as they got inside, Kyle headed for the keg, Isabel found some groupies, Max and Liz found a corner to stare at each other in and Maria dragged Michael to the dance floor.  
  
  
  
They sat in the living room discussing their new additions. Buffy sat in an armchair across from Giles who was in a chair across the room. Willow and Tara shared the overstuffed sofa while Xander and Anya lay on the floor. Dawn and Spike were in the TV Room playing video games.  
  
"I think they're doing quite well," said Giles.  
  
"Yeah, it's unreal how strong Maria is."  
  
"I know," Buffy said, "Michael is as strong as I am, maybe even a little stronger."  
  
"Does anyone else find that guy weird?" Xander asked.  
  
"And intimidating," Tara added. The others shrugged.  
  
"They seem to be stronger together than apart," said Giles, referring to the day before. It was the one day of the week that Maria and Michael's shifts at the Crashdown weren't together. They had come to training alone.  
  
Michael could barely hit the punching bag. He usually used Buffy's bag since he was stronger than the regular humans were. The bag usually swung back and forth wildly as soon as he got started. The bag barely even moved. It didn't even dent with the impact. Maria, on the other hand, was extra strong. She destroyed her punching bag with two punches and a kick. Due to her earlier display of extraordinary strength, they had a special punching bag made for her. They had filled the middle with cement and padded around it with foam to make it heavier. They also cemented it to the roof. The combination proved to be an effective work out for Maria, but that day, she pummeled it without even breaking a sweat. After the five minutes of exercise, she blacked out and didn't awaken until two hours later when Michael showed up.  
  
"They do seem more…balanced when they are together, though that could have been a fluke," said Buffy.  
  
"Possibly, but if not, it could be extremely dangerous."  
  
"We'll have to discuss it with them."  
  
Just then, the phone rang. Buffy jumped up to answer it.  
  
"Giles. It's for you. It's Wesley."  
  
  
  
By eleven o'clock, the Pod Squad was tired of pretending to be happy. Kyle was drunk, and Max, Liz and Isabel were bored. Michael and Maria seemed to be the only ones having a good time, which was unusual because Michael hated social events. He and Maria spent three hours dancing, which was also strange considering Michael hated to dance.  
  
The six of them walked to where their cars were parked, three blocks away. Suddenly, a group of vampires jumped out of a dark alleyway. They were surrounded by ten vampires that were currently licking their chops and snarling at them.  
  
"Well, well, well. What do we have here," the leader said.  
  
"Mmmm. Dinner," another said. They licked their lips greedily at the four scared teenagers. Max glanced at Liz and Isabel. They were terrified. He turned to Kyle who was now sober from his terror. At last his eyes landed on Michael and Maria, who didn't look at all surprised.  
  
"I'm sorry, you're not my type," Michael said sarcastically, "I like my dates alive."  
  
"Likewise," Maria taunted, as she discreetly pulled a stake out of her purse.  
  
"Ooh, feisty dinner. A lot of fun to eat," the leader said as he advanced on his prey.  
  
"Dumb vampires," Maria commented as she staked the nearest vampire.  
  
"How very common," Michael finished, staking another. They snarled and launched themselves on Michael and Maria, the others momentarily forgotten.  
  
The others stood in shock at the scene that was unfolding before them. Maria kicked a huge vampire across the alleyway while staking a little one. Michael staked two vampires and kicked another. After about five minutes of fighting, Michael and Maria joined hands and walked away from the dust covered alley. Max, Liz, Isabel and Kyle stared after them in stunned silence before following them.  
  
"We have to tell them now," Michael stated.  
  
"I know," she answered, "that was a close one."  
  
"Did you see the look on Maxwell's face?" Michael asked amused.  
  
"Priceless," she smiled, "I wish we had a camera."  
  
"I thought Liz's jaw was gonna fall off."  
  
Maria chuckled. "This is gonna be a long night."  
  
They leaned against the jeep and waited on their still stunned, explanation- expecting friends. When the others finally made it over, they all got into their respective cars and by silent agreement, headed over to Michael's apartment.  
  
Silently, they all filed in to Michael's apartment. Michael and Maria stood by the counter. Max, Liz and Isabel sat on the couch and Kyle sat on the recliner. They all stared at each other until Max broke the silence.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Maria shifted uncomfortably. Michael stood there with a stoic expression on his face.  
  
"Um, those were vampires," Maria said. They looked at her as if she were crazy.  
  
"It's true. Vampires and demons exist," Michael said.  
  
"Okay, so…how did you know how to fight them?" Isabel asked still not fully believing.  
  
"Because… I'm the vampire slayer," Maria said.  
  
"And that is…?"  
  
"I'm destined to fight vampires and demons for the side of good," Maria said, "There's a whole prophesy thing but I don't remember it."  
  
"And what does Michael have to do with it?"  
  
"He's my boyfriend and he was there when we first got attacked. He comes with me to train and he helps keep Buffy on her toes."  
  
"Who's Buffy?"  
  
"She's another slayer."  
  
"How many slayers are there?" asked Liz.  
  
"Originally? One. Right now? Three." Michael answered.  
  
"Okay, explain."  
  
"Actually, Giles is better at this than I am, but okay," Maria said, "In every generation they choose this one girl to be a slayer and then when she dies, another one is called."  
  
"This system worked until Buffy drowned a few years ago and was brought back to life through CPR."  
  
"Since she was officially dead for like, two minutes, another one was called and that made two."  
  
"Then that one went evil, tried to kill Buffy, went to jail, yada yada…"  
  
"And then Buffy had to fight this god. She was like, way powerful."  
  
"She died again and this time, her friends raised her from the dead with a spell."  
  
"That's when I was called."  
  
"What's that make kiddies? Three."  
  
"Okay. What are you guys on?" Kyle asked.  
  
"Guess we're goin' to see Giles," Maria said looking from one disbelieving face to another.  
  
The ride to Giles' was quiet to say the least. No one knew what to make of this newfound knowledge. Aliens were hard enough to swallow…but demons? It was way too unreal for them.  
  
The house at least was impressive. It was very inviting and warm looking on the outside. They sort of half-expected a dark gothic creepy old house. Michael and Maria walked right up the front steps, opened the door and went in like they owned the place. A short brunette with blue eyes greeted them with a hug and regarded the new guests warmly before motioning for them to follow her into the living room.  
  
As they walked into the living room the girl announced their arrival to seven other people.  
  
"Hey Maria, Michael. What's up?" a short blond asked them.  
  
"These are our friends," Maria said, "Max, Liz, Isabel and Kyle, meet Buffy, Willow, Xander, Dawn, Tara, Giles, Anya and Spike."  
  
"Guys, this is where we go every afternoon."  
  
"Hi," the Scooby Gang chorused warmly.  
  
"Hey," the Pod squad said.  
  
"Okay Giles, do your thing," Maria said.  
  
"What thing?"  
  
"Tell them about demons and stuff. They don't believe us."  
  
"Um, okay. Buffy can fill you in. I need to have a word with you."  
  
"Okay," they said as they walked off with Giles.  
  
"Okay, what's going on?" Michael asked as he closed the door to Giles' office behind him.  
  
"We have a bit of a problem."  
  
"What is it?" Maria asked.  
  
"You are aware that I am Buffy's watcher," they nodded and he continued, "Well, Faith had a watcher also, his name is Wesley. He works in LA with Angel."  
  
"So?"  
  
"About a year ago, he and Angel acquired a scroll of prophecies, real prophesies; a Nyazian Scroll. He has been in the process of translating it for that time," Giles started pacing in front of them, unconsciously cleaning his glass and replacing it on his face repeatedly. "Recently he has translated one of the scripts. It speaks of something arising which results in the end of the world. Now, due to the varying languages the scroll is written in, he cannot be sure as to what it is."  
  
"So…we have to go back to LA to help him fight of this thing," Michael stated.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So, when do we leave?" Maria asked.  
  
"Tomorrow morning. The council has provided us with enough money to get plane tickets out. We have a 2 am flight. You will need to get permission from your parents, though."  
  
"That's easy, my Mom's out of town for a week and a half."  
  
"And you Michael?"  
  
"Easier. No parents."  
  
"Oh yes well. Be ready tomorrow by midnight. We will be over to pick you up then."  
  
"Cool. We'll be over at Michael's."  
  
"I also wanted to tell you that when we get to LA, you two are not to separate if we are to fight. It seems that you cannot fight when you are not in close proximity to each other," said Giles, "When you are apart, Michael becomes weak and Maria loses energy. We are not sure why this is, but this connection may prove to be very dangerous. We must keep you two together until we figure out how to fix this."  
  
"Fine by me," they said in unison.  
  
"Very well."  
  
They walked back to the living room and were greeted by four stunned faces and seven amused ones.  
  
"B-but it is scientifically impossible," Liz was saying.  
  
"Hey Guerin, this another one of your elaborate jokes? 'Cause it's not funny man," said Kyle.  
  
"I think you better show 'em Spike," Dawn said. Spike vamped out and fake- attacked Max.  
  
He jumped and almost fell over the coffee table. Michael snickered.  
  
'I gotta find a new name for him, fearless leader won't cut it anymore,' he thought to Maria. Maria laughed at the comment and the look on Max's face.  
  
Isabel looked at Spike with curiosity. She reached up and lightly touched his forehead. She jumped slightly as he changed back beneath her fingers.  
  
"Tres cool."  
  
"Wait a minute. He's a vampire? I thought that you were supposed to kill them," asked Max.  
  
"There was this government project called the Initiative. They captured demons and vampires and sort of tested on them," Buffy said. The aliens involuntarily cringed, "they put a chip in his head, so he can't hurt any living thing."  
  
"I can still pummel demons, thank you very much," Spike said, "The Big Bad isn't completely out of business."  
  
The new comers nodded in false comprehension. It would take a while for this new information to sink in. Their understanding of the situation was not as natural as that of Michael and Maria. With them, it was like just awakening old knowledge.  
  
Sensing that their guests were about to go on overload and that the Scooby Gang needed to talk, Dawn took the others to the TV room for drinks and video games. She at least would get some opponents that she could have a decent game with. Spike, Michael and Maria always beat her because they were unnaturally good at strategising and, well, the others either tried to let her win or just sucked at video games.  
  
Max, Liz and Kyle settled on the couch, glasses of coke in hand, while Isabel, who was less shocked, played Mortal Kombat with Dawn.  
  
"So, do we like, have to train now too?" Isabel asked.  
  
"If you want. If you're gonna be hanging around the slayer it would be helpful."  
  
"So, what's Sunnydale like?"  
  
"It sits on a Hellmouth. It's about the size of Roswell and we have twelve cemeteries. The place is overrun with demons and vampires. The death rate of that place used to be sky high until Buffy moved to town…well, it's still high, but not as high now."  
  
"So, how old are you Dawn?"  
  
"Fifteen. I'll be sixteen next month."  
  
"You ever had to go into battle?"  
  
"Yeah, well. There was this god named Glory. She got banished from her dimension and couldn't get back without this mystical key."  
  
"So what happened?" asked Isabel, intrigued.  
  
"Well, these priest guys made the key into human form and sent it to the Slayer to protect."  
  
"You're the key," Isabel stated.  
  
"Yeah, when Glory found out, she kidnapped me and tried to use me to open the gateway between the worlds. Buffy killed her, but not before she cut me and opened the portal. The only way to stop it was to stop the blood flow," Dawn said, getting slightly tearful, "Buffy…she sacrificed herself."  
  
"And then you resurrected her."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Wow," was all Isabel could say. Dawn used the distraction to pummel Isabel's character.  
  
"HA! I win, I win!" Dawn chanted. Isabel smiled up at her.  
  
"That was so not fair. I say rematch."  
  
"Okay, but I've been learning from Michael and nobody beats him. Not even Spike."  
  
"We'll see about that."  
  
The two spent the next half-hour playing their game. Max, Liz and Kyle still sat on the couch quietly consumed in their own thoughts. Dawn was content at finally finding a good game buddy and Isabel was glad to be free of thoughts of Alex and Tess for at least one night.  
  
Michael and Maria walked in soon after and explained the situation in LA to the rest of the Pod Squad. After a few minutes of discussion, it was decided that they all would go tomorrow to help with the prophecy. They were all to meet the next morning for basic training before they headed out to the city of Angels. Afterwards, they said their good-byes and went home to sleep. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow. 


	5. Chapter Five

DISCLAIMER: Mine? Yeah right.  
  
CATEGORY: Buffy/Roswell crossover  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanx for the reviews pplz!!! Well, here, read s'more. I'll go write s'more.  
  
CHAPTER FIVE  
  
The next day, Max and Isabel had an early start, considering they were up until 3am the night before. They had asked their mother if they could go on a trip to California with their friends for a couple weeks in the summer. After seeing the hopeful looks on the faces of her two children, Diane Evans could not refuse them. Her only problem was the need for chaperones, which they immediately quelled with mention of Giles and Wesley, who they were to meet when they got there.  
  
They arrived at Giles' house at 11:30. They were the last to arrive, being ten minutes later than Liz. Dawn invited them in and led them to the training room in the basement where everyone was gathered, watching something in the center of the room.  
  
"What's going on?" Max asked.  
  
"Michael and Buffy are sparring. We always bet on who's gonna win."  
  
"Who are you betting on?"  
  
"Michael, duh. Buffy may be the Slayer, but Michael is a lot better fighter than she is," she said, watching the fight.  
  
"How much did you bet?"  
  
"Twenty bucks. The pool's usually ten bucks a person but we were allowed double today because of what happened day before yesterday."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Maria wasn't here and Michael was like extremely weak. Dude probably couldn't win in a fight against me," she said as she watched her sister land flat on her back and get pinned by Michael.  
  
The cheer of the people who bet for Michael interrupted their conversation. Dawn, Spike, Maria and Anya collected their money from Giles, Xander, Willow, Tara and suprisingly, Liz. Maria ran up to Michael as he helped Buffy up.  
  
"You are so good for my income," she said as she kissed him briefly on the lips.  
  
"Yeah, mine too," Dawn chimed in.  
  
"Traitor," Buffy growled, mock glaring at her little sister.  
  
"Yeah, but traitor with moolah."  
  
Spike and Dawn high fived each other and waved their money in the losers' faces. They were known for their gloating. Xander rolled his eyes and walked off finally noticing the newcomers.  
  
"Hey, guys."  
  
"Hey."  
  
Giles, also noticing that they were finally there cleared his throat and motioned for them to join him at the center of the mat.  
  
"This is the training room," he announced with a flourish, "now, before we start, I want you all to stretch, then I will have each of you use the punching bag so that I can assess your level of agility. Buffy will show you the proper way to stretch." They nodded and he continued; "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make sure that Michael and Maria are actually training."  
  
He walked towards Michael and Maria who were in the middle of a semi heated make-out session in the corner.  
  
Buffy watched them and grunted, "God, they're worse than Xander and Anya." She shook her head and turned to her new students, "Okay, this is what you have to do…"  
  
She showed them different stretches for different muscles. Then, she showed them some calming yoga positions. The one thing she hated about training, but she knew she had to do it. Half an hour later, Giles returned to teach them combat skills. Max volunteered to go first.  
  
"Okay, I want you to punch and kick the bag at random. Try to put as much power behind it as possible. You don't have to go easy on the bag," he said. He laughed to himself as he thought of the last time he told someone not to take it easy on the bag, "Everything in this room is Maria tested and approved."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, when she first came here, we thought that she would have regular human strength until further trained."  
  
"So, what happened?" Liz asked.  
  
"She hit it once and it flew across the room, literally." Their eyebrows shot up as they tried to imagine how the petite blond managed to destroy a punching bag.  
  
"Okay, Max, let us begin."  
  
Max began punching and kicking the bag with mediocre agility and grace. He stepped back after five minutes with the instruction of Giles. Giles nodded his head and Kyle went to have a go at it. He too, had a mediocre, though slightly better performance than Max compared to Michael and Maria on their first day. He had more strength and agility from the sports he played.  
  
Liz was graceful and agile, though not as strong as the others were. She held her own against the punching bag. Isabel was by far the best out of them. She fought with almost the same skill as Michael showed. Her skill surprised Giles as well as the others. Kyle and Max were slightly embarrassed by their lack of skill.  
  
"Good job, Izzy," Michael said as she steadied the bag. She turned around and grinned at her surrogate brother. Michael walked over and gave her shoulders a brief squeeze.  
  
"Yes, quite," Giles said, "Have you had any training?"  
  
"No," she said.  
  
"Okay, from what I have seen, I can assign sparring partners for you all," said Giles, "But for starters, I will teach you some basic punches and kicks and blocks for them."  
  
"Cool," Isabel said, "Can I play with the bag some more? That was loads of fun."  
  
"Later. You must first learn how to fight and then we must try you on the dummy," he said, pointing to the dummy in the corner, "I promise it is just as fun as the bag."  
  
"Hey Giles! I am getting a serious case of the munchies, let's go get some grub," said Xander. Giles looked at his watch and nodded.  
  
"I suppose we could take a break. We can discuss the trip."  
  
They all headed upstairs to find some food. They eventually decided on ordering a few pizzas. They ate in the living room while discussing the upcoming trip to Los Angeles. After two hours, they finally found themselves back in the training room.  
  
Giles made them watch Buffy and Michael fight so that could see the way it was to be done. Max watched in awe as Michael and Buffy went at it like their lives depended on it. Each blow countered perfectly as if Michael knew exactly what Buffy was going to do. Hmm…no Michael couldn't mind read. Max shook that thought out of his head immediately. Michael 'staked' Buffy yet again and stood up. They were both sweaty and breathing heavily.  
  
"Okay, now Isabel," Giles said, "You seem to have a natural ability like Michael. I would like you to come down and spar with Buffy. Michael, go take a break. After, I would like Max and Kyle to go against Xander, and Willow will go against Liz."  
  
At six o'clock they finished training. At the moment, Isabel was the best fighter of the four. Kyle and Max were a not-so-close second and Liz was bringing up the rear. She would probably fight as little as possible. They all headed home to pack for their 2 o'clock flight. They were told to bring light, inexpensive clothing for the fighting. They would all meet Giles at the house where they would go to the airport together.  
  
  
  
"So, when will they be coming?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"They should be here by 2:30 for the latest," said Wesley, "Angel and Gunn are going to meet them at the airport."  
  
"H-how many people are coming," asked Fred nervously.  
  
"Um, I believe it's fourteen of them," said Wesley.  
  
"Fourteen! I thought it was ten yesterday," Cordelia exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, well, change of plans," he said, "The Slayer's friends found out and decided to tag along and help."  
  
Just then, Angel walked in. He came down the stairs and plopped himself on the chair in the lobby.  
  
"Hey guys, hey Fred," he greeted.  
  
"H-hi Angel," she drawled, looking at the floor shyly, "I came out of my room like you said."  
  
"That's great, Fred." He turned to Cordelia. "Cordy, could you rent two minivans for me, please?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Any color preferences?"  
  
"You can choose," he said. After seeing the mischievous smirk on her face he added, "Just not pink or any outrageous color your evil brain is thinking of putting me in."  
  
"Aw, spoil my fun why don't ya." She went into the office to make the order.  
  
"So, how do you think you'll handle it?"  
  
"Handle what?"  
  
"Buffy."  
  
  
  
The plane ride to Los Angeles was uneventful to say the least. They had been given a private flight courtesy the Watchers' Council. Michael and Maria made out the whole time. Max and Liz stared at each other from across the aisle. Isabel and Buffy discussed fashion while Spike, Kyle and Dawn played cards. Xander spent his time trying to convince Anya that the plane was completely safe, even though this wasn't her first plane ride. Willow and Tara chatted quietly in the back while Giles read a book on demons.  
  
When they got to the airport, they saw Angel and Gunn leaning against a wall opposite the gate. After getting their luggage they piled into his two rented vans. He drove the black one and Gunn drove a green one. The Pod Squad went with Gunn and the Scooby Gang rode with Angel. They began to drive in silence.  
  
"God, it is way too quiet in here," said Maria. She leaned forward in her seat and fiddled with the radio until she landed on a station she liked. She sat back and started to sing along with the song on the radio.  
  
Ten minutes and three songs later, they arrived at the hotel. The Roswell Gang was amazed that a 300-year-old vampire without a job could afford such a thing. Angel had set up ten rooms for them, unsure of the pairings if any.  
  
After the introductions were made and Angel regarded Max, Michael and Isabel strangely, they retired to their rooms for the night...or morning, whichever. Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn also stayed for safety reasons. Things were understandably tense between Buffy and Angel but not too unbearable. Fred, being the chicken, antisocial butterfly she was, hid out in the confines of her room. No one had any idea of what was to come, just that it was coming.  
  
The next morning…or the same morning, depending on how you look at it, the three groups gathered in the lobby of Angel's hotel. Everyone stared expectantly at Wesley who was still studying the scroll.  
  
"So, Wesley, are you gonna tell us what it says, or do we have to guess?" asked Buffy impatiently.  
  
"Yes, you're quite right," he said, "Well we've acquired this scroll from Wolfram and Hart. We have already translated part about Angel last year, but I've only recently been able to uncover another section. It was mostly written in grappler and f'nasnian, which is mostly grunts and was quite hard to translate…"  
  
"Can you get to the point?" asked Anya.  
  
"Yes. Well, it says that there will be a rising of something from light to bring darkness. It says here that whatever it is will battle with…either the strong one, or the powerful one. It also hints that it is unknown whether the chosen is good or bad. There are a couple of words that I cannot figure out. They would probably tell us more about what to expect and who 'the chosen' is."  
  
"Like, what do you mean?" asked Dawn.  
  
"Well, the word 'p'noiplre'. It is present in six different languages, all of which have a different translation."  
  
"Wouldn't it be in whatever language the rest of it's in?" Max asked.  
  
"The scroll is written in various languages to make it more difficult to translate."  
  
"The PTB just like to make life hard and annoying," Cordelia added.  
  
"PTB?" the Pod Squad asked.  
  
"The Powers that Be," Angel answered. They shrugged.  
  
"Anyway, the word means either: Strong, powerful, passionate, mistrustful, hidden and apathetic. The word is used to describe the chosen."  
  
"So, is the chosen human, demon, what?" asked Xander.  
  
"That is also another problem," he said, "the scroll just states that it is unlike the population, whatever that means. I think it hints to demon…or perhaps a vampire or Slayer?"  
  
"Perhaps," said Giles, once again cleaning his glasses.  
  
"So we're good then," Maria said.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"We have two vampires…" she started.  
  
"And two slayers…" Michael continued.  
  
"Three if you count Faith…"  
  
"Two witches…"  
  
"An ex-demon…"  
  
"And a key." Michael finished. Angel, Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn watched them in astonishment.  
  
"What…was that?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"They have some sort of connection we have yet to figure out," said Buffy.  
  
"You guys notice it too?" Max asked.  
  
"It was pretty freaky the first couple of times," Xander commented. Michael and Maria shot them identical playful glares.  
  
"Okay," Angel said, "So, how is she at the slaying?" he asked gesturing to Maria with his head.  
  
"Why don't you fight her and find out, Gramps?" said Spike.  
  
Angel shrugged, "Okay."  
  
"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea," said Buffy.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You won't live the first five minutes."  
  
"She's ripped the heads off of vampires…with her bare hands," Xander said. Cordelia, Wesley, Angel, Gunn, Max, Liz, Isabel and Kyle stared at Maria in shock.  
  
"Come on, I'm not that bad anymore," Maria said.  
  
"Do we have to remind you of three days ago?"  
  
"Come on, I want to fight the famous Angel."  
  
"How 'bout you watch Michael fight Angel?" Willow asked.  
  
"Hmm. Not as fun, but okay," she acquiesced.  
  
"Should I be fighting a human?" asked Angel, not wanting to hurt him. The Pod Squad shared a knowing smirk.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Michael's tough. He can handle it," Dawn said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
They went down to the basement where Angel had all his training stuff. It was dark and gloomy down there. A dark blue mat lay on the floor surrounded by a punching bag, dummy and an arsenal of medieval weaponry.  
  
"Cool ax," Michael and Maria commented as they admired a huge battle-ax that hung on the wall.  
  
"Do they always do that?" Cordelia whispered to Willow.  
  
"Mostly."  
  
"You guys getting in on the action?" Xander asked.  
  
"Yeah. I put ten on Michael," said Willow.  
  
"What action?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"We always bet on the winners of these sparring contests between Buffy and Michael."  
  
"Oh. Cool, what's the pool up to?"  
  
"Uh…$140."  
  
"Cool, put me down for ten for Angel," she said, handing her a ten.  
  
"Okay little lady. Let's watch the fight then," Xander drawled, turning back to the two men on the mat.  
  
"Okay," said Dawn, as referee, "Let's have a good clean fight." The others laughed. "Let's get it on!"  
  
Michael and Angel circled each other half-menacingly; their bodies ready for the other's next move. Finally, Angel lashed out. He punched at Michael's face, but Michael grabbed it and kicked him in the stomach then twisted his arm. Angel spun to hit him again, but Michael was too fast and punched him in the face, then ducked and tripped him. Angel fell flat on his back.  
  
"You don't have to hold back, you know," Michael said.  
  
"Okay," Angel said, turning to his game face.  
  
"Better."  
  
Angel did a spin kick at Michael hitting him in the stomach; Michael instantly punched him in the face and blocked another kick. Angel punched at him again but he grabbed his arm and flung Angel over his shoulder like he was a little old lady. Angel landed flat on his back. He flipped back on his feet and went after Michael again, this time getting a few punches in. Michael got fed up of fighting. He jumped, launched himself off Angel's chest and kicked him in the head. He ducked as soon as he landed and tripped him, pinning him to the floor, fake staking him.  
  
"I win," he said, smirking. He got off of Angel and held out his hand to help him up. Angel was too shocked to turn him down.  
  
Dawn, Spike, Anya, Maria and Isabel clapped and cheered before collecting their money. Cordelia, Wesley, Angel and Gunn stood in stunned silence. Dawn hugged Michael for her new addition to her money collection.  
  
"He fights like a slayer," Angel finally stated.  
  
"We know," Giles said, "It is a bit odd. Isabel seems to show the same potential."  
  
"Interesting," said Wesley, "I don't suppose you would like to show us?"  
  
"Sure," Isabel said, "Who do I get?"  
  
"Um, Buffy, would you like to do the honors?" asked Wesley, not sure if he should let Isabel fight Angel.  
  
"Why can't I get Angel?" Isabel asked, a sweet smile on her face.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Isabel took Michael's place on the mat circling Angel like a trained Martial Artist. She attacked first kicking Angel in the nuts. She kicked him in the knees and punched him in the face. Angel, who had been holding back until then, kicked at her. She grabbed his leg and flipped him in the air. He jumped back up and punched her in the stomach. She kicked him in the head. His head snapped to the side. She ducked and kicked his feet from under him. He fell flat on his back and she fake staked him.  
  
"Good game, Angel," she said to him before getting off him. Angel was speechless for the second time in the day. Everyone but Michael and Maria looked at Isabel in shock. They were all sure that Angel would win that one if not the one against Michael.  
  
"Okay, fork it over," Michael and Maria said simultaneously. Everyone else handed over ten dollars each. Michael and Maria shared a brief kiss before going over to congratulate Isabel.  
  
"How long have you been training them?" Angel asked Giles.  
  
"Michael's been training a week, but he has been this skilled since the first day. I just met Isabel yesterday."  
  
"Prior training?" Wesley asked.  
  
"None," Isabel answered, walking up behind them.  
  
"Amazing," Wesley mumbled in awe, "How have they faired against Buffy?"  
  
"Same as Angel," Giles answered.  
  
"We thought she might be off her game because of the whole dying thing, but since they kicked your butt…" Xander said.  
  
"Cool," Cordelia said, "Now we've got, like five slayer types."  
  
"Have you checked the books?" Angel asked Giles.  
  
"They say nothing of a male slayer or a Slayer sharing powers."  
  
"What do you mean sharing?" Wesley asked.  
  
"When apart, Michael becomes weak and Maria loses energy," Giles said. They glanced at the couple standing in the corner…or more like making out in the corner. Wesley turned to Angel.  
  
"We should take them to The Host."  
  
"Maybe there's something in the books we overlooked," Angel said.  
  
"We'll look through the books first then we'll go see the Host," Giles said.  
  
"Who is the Host?" Liz asked.  
  
"He is a demon from the planet Pylea," said Wesley.  
  
"So he's an alien?" Max asked, exchanging a glance with Isabel.  
  
"Basically," Cordelia said, "On his planet, humans are called cows and they are slaves. His people rule the planet. I was princess for a couple of days before they tried to make me mate with a groosalug and give up my powers."  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna nod like what you said makes sense," Kyle said.  
  
"How would this Host help us?" asked Max.  
  
"He's psychic."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"But the only problem is he can't read you unless you sing karaoke."  
  
"So you go there often?" Max asked.  
  
"Yeah. My ears still haven't recovered from the last time I had to hear Angel sing," Cordelia said.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"It's the truth, buddy!" Cordelia said. Angel muttered something under his breath and stalked off.  
  
"Ooh, karaoke!" Maria squealed, "Fun! Let's go!"  
  
"Okay, let's go," said Wesley.  
  
The eighteen of them piled into the two minivans and Angel's convertible. Cordelia led the way in Angel's car in the familiar journey to 'Caritas'. When they got there, Spike and Angel covered their heads with their coats and dashed for the door. The others strolled in after them. The aliens were a little nervous. If this guy was a psychic, would he be able to tell what they were? In a way, he was one, too, but they were still nervous.  
  
The normally full bar was half-empty because of the time of day. There were three other people there besides them. Lorne sat on a stool talking to the bartender and sipping on a martini. He was half listening to the demon that was doing a horrible rendition of 'I Will Survive' that made Angel look like Pavarotti.  
  
"Hey, Lorne," Angel said taking a seat next to him.  
  
"Angel, what's up?" he said.  
  
"Well, there's this prophecy that's coming up soon and we don't know anything about it," Angel said, "and we were hoping you could see why the new Slayer is sharing powers."  
  
"Whew, well, at least I won't be bored today," he said swallowing the last of his drink, "who're your friends?"  
  
"Pardon Angel and his rudeness," Cordelia said, looking pointedly at Angel, "Lorne, this is Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Anya, Tara, Dawn, Spike, Michael, Maria, Max, Liz, Isabel and Kyle," said Cordelia, pointing to each in turn.  
  
"Hey," they said.  
  
"This is gonna be so much fun, Lizzie," Maria squealed, "Where's the list, who's going first?"  
  
"Newcomers first," Cordelia said, knowing full well that nobody in her or the Sunnydale group could sing.  
  
"Cool," Maria said, "How 'bout Max and Lizzie first?"  
  
"Uh, Um, I'm not sure," Max stuttered.  
  
"What's the matter, oh fearless leader?" Michael and Maria asked, "It's not gonna hurt, Maxwell."  
  
"Great, now I got both of them calling me that," Max muttered under his breath, "Okay, Michael," he said, "Why don't you sing with me instead?"  
  
"Okay," Michael shrugged, "you pick a song."  
  
"I don't think you wanna do that Michael," Isabel said, "He'll probably pick some sappy love song."  
  
"God, why don't you all just go?" Buffy said, impatient.  
  
"No," said Lorne, "I want two at a time. How about, Max and Liz first, then Isabel and Kyle, then Michael and Maria."  
  
"Fine by me," Kyle said.  
  
Max and Liz walked to the stage and waited for the music to begin. They had picked a song by the Counting Crows (big surprise). Lorne stared at them in amazement as they began singing. They didn't sound too bad, but what he saw was amazing.  
  
Isabel and Kyle went up next. They sang Green Day's 'Time of your life (Good Riddance)'. It seemed fitting because of the mood they were in for the past month, and for Isabel two months. It was like a final message to Alex and Tess. The sadness that rolled off the two of them made Lorne want to cry. It was so…horrible what had happened to them this early in life…to know such betrayal and loss. Max and Liz had similar emotions rolling off of them in waves.  
  
Finally Michael and Maria made their way onstage. They had decided to sing something for all their friends, new and old. The others looked on as the music began. Michael and Maria sat on the two stools on stage that sat in front of the mics. Maria started the song.  
  
1.1.1 Saying I love you  
  
Is not the words I want to hear from you  
  
1.2 It's not that I want you  
  
Not to say, but if you only knew  
  
1.2.1.1 How easy it would be to show me how you feel  
  
Michael joined in with perfect harmony.  
  
More than words is all you have to do to make it real  
  
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me  
  
1.2.1.2 'Cause I'd already know  
  
Maria took the lead again.  
  
1.2.1.3  
  
1.2.1.4 What would you do if my heart was torn in two  
  
More than words to show you feel  
  
That your love for me is real  
  
What would you say if I took those words away?  
  
Then you couldn't make things new  
  
Just by saying I love you  
  
La-da-da-da-e-da-di-da-da-da  
  
More than words  
  
La-di-da-da-e-da  
  
The two on stage mesmerized the others, including the three previous customers. The rest of the Pod Squad glanced at each other as the lyrics of the song sunk in. The Sunnydale Gang also exchanged glances as well as Buffy and Angel. Michael and Maria began to sing again; this time Michael took the lead.  
  
Now I've tried to talk to you and make you understand  
  
1.2.2 All you have to do is close your eyes  
  
And just reach out your hands and touch me  
  
Hold me close don't ever let me go  
  
More than words is all I ever needed you to show  
  
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me  
  
'Cause I'd already know  
  
What would you do if my heart was torn in two?  
  
More than words to show you feel  
  
1.2.2.1 That your love for me is real  
  
What would you say if I took those words away?  
  
Then you couldn't make things new  
  
Just by saying I love you  
  
La-da-da-da-e-da-di-da-da-da  
  
More than words  
  
La-da-da-da-e-da-di-da-da-da  
  
More than words  
  
La-da-da-da-e-da-di-da-da-da  
  
More than words  
  
La-da-da-da-e-da-di-da-da-da  
  
1.2.2.2 More than words  
  
1.2.2.3 Oooooh oooh oooh  
  
More than words  
  
They finished in perfect harmony. After five seconds of stunned silence, they received a hearty round of applause. The groups cheered and clapped without abandon. They bowed and walked off the stage, sitting at the table with Max, Liz, Kyle and Isabel. Isabel and Liz had tears in their eyes.  
  
"That was so good you guys," Isabel gushed.  
  
"That was an incredibly sweet song," Liz said.  
  
"Michael, where did you learn to sing like that?" Max asked, slightly jealous.  
  
"Don't know."  
  
"Come on, it was only karaoke," Maria said.  
  
"You guys, that was great," Cordelia exclaimed, "I bet that was the best performance you've had since Lindsey, right Lorne?"  
  
They turned to look at the stunned demon sitting at the bar.  
  
"Lorne?" Cordelia said waving her hand in front of his face, "Earth to Krevlornswath of the Deathwok clan!"  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
"You zoned out on us, man, is that bad news?" Gunn asked. Lorne suddenly got up and ushered his other three patrons out the door. He locked it and turned the sign so that it said 'CLOSED' in big black letters. He turned back to the eighteen faces that stared at him expectantly.  
  
"Your majesties," he said, bowing.  
  
"What is he talking about?" Wesley asked.  
  
"You are in the presence of King Zan of Antar, princess Vilandra of Antar and the crown Prince of Carnath," he said, still bowing.  
  
"Um, arise," Max said softly.  
  
"I must have permission from the rest of the royal family," he replied.  
  
"Um, a-arise," Isabel said, "but, we don't know who the crown Prince of Carnath is."  
  
"I'm sure he says to arise too," Michael said, "but he probably doesn't know what you're talking about."  
  
"I am sure you are right, High Prince Rath."  
  
"Prince? I'm just a second in command."  
  
"But, you are the rightful ruler of Carnath," Lorne said, walking over to sit at the bar, "it is your birthright."  
  
"What? For him to be prince he has to born of royal blood right?" Liz asked, ever the scientist.  
  
"Yes, and he was."  
  
"And nobody told me because…?"  
  
"They didn't know," Lorne said, "I'm not sure what the story is, but hidden deep down in your memory, as the others, you have a store of your memories as Rath."  
  
"Wait. The New York guy?" Kyle asked, confused.  
  
"No, his previous life as Rath."  
  
"Um, excuse me," Cordelia interrupted, "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Yeah, Kings, Princesses?" Willow asked, "What are you guys?"  
  
Max glanced at the others. They shrugged.  
  
"You better get comfy," Kyle advised, "this is a long story."  
  
"Max, Izzy and I are aliens," Michael stated bluntly.  
  
The others laughed, "Okay now really, what are you?" Xander asked.  
  
"We are aliens," Max said, "What, you can believe in demons and not aliens?" They stared at them in silence.  
  
"I knew you smelled funny!" Spike said, "never would have guessed that one though."  
  
"We were a part of the 1947 crash in Roswell," Isabel continued, "we were in incubation pods until 1989, and we came out looking like six year olds."  
  
"The twelve year thing!" Xander exclaimed.  
  
"Smart kid," Michael said sarcastically.  
  
"We found out that we had a fourth," Max said, "Her name was Tess and she introduced us to our Destiny." He spat the word out like it was poison.  
  
"Their mom," Michael said pointing to Max and Isabel, "Told us that we lived before. Max used to be King of our planet, Antar. I was his second-in- command, Isabel was his sister and my betrothed, and Tess was Max's young bride."  
  
"Um, Vilandra had an affair with Khivar, their biggest enemy, and betrayed her family," Isabel said, head down, "There was a war and we all died, because of me."  
  
"Izzy, you are not Vilandra," Max reassured her.  
  
"Anyway, their scientists cloned our essence or something, mixed our DNA with human DNA and sent us to Earth. We were supposed to return and release the planet from slavery," Michael said.  
  
"So, y'all are married?" Xander asked. Michael and Isabel looked at each other with disgusted looks on their faces.  
  
"No offense, Michael, but ew!" Isabel said.  
  
"Likewise."  
  
"Okay, so you're royalty, but where's Tess?" Buffy asked getting interested in the story.  
  
"We're getting to that," Michael said.  
  
"Anyway, our protector, Nasedo, went into the special unit of the FBI, imitating the head so he could infiltrate and destroy."  
  
"Didn't they notice the difference?" Willow asked.  
  
"No, he was a shapeshifter."  
  
"Was?"  
  
"He was killed by our enemy, the skins," Michael said, "Anyway, he was the one who raised Tess and so we had to listen to her because she knew more than we did."  
  
"After a while, we found out that there were more pods like ours here on Earth, but we thought the government had them," Isabel said.  
  
"They were our Duplicates," Michael said, "See, their mom sent an extra set just in case. They lived in New York. They remember our past lives. Their names were Zan, Rath, Lonnie, and Ava."  
  
"Rath and Lonnie killed Zan because he didn't want to go to a meeting with all the heads of the five planets in our system. Rath just wanted to go home but Lonnie planned to hand them over to Khivar as soon as they got there," said Max, "They came, got me and Tess and we went to the meeting."  
  
"Then they tried to kill them, yada yada," Maria added.  
  
"Tess came back, killed Alex and got Max to knock her up," Michael summed up.  
  
"She mind warped Alex to translate this book we have so that she could take us home," Isabel continued.  
  
"That lying bastard Nasedo made a deal forty years ago with Khivar, to get the Queen to get an heir from the king and then hand us over for execution when we went home," Michael said.  
  
"But Lizzie figured out that Tess was a murderer right before they had to leave," Maria added, "We warned them about Tess and she left Earth alone."  
  
"So, she's still out there?" Tara asked.  
  
"Presumably," Max said.  
  
"Wow," was all they could say. Suddenly Michael remembered something.  
  
"What were you talking about me being a Crown Prince?" he asked Lorne.  
  
"Carnath is the planet Khivar comes from," Lorne stated, "it was a peaceful planet just next to Antar. Khivar had been planning for years to take over the whole constellation, so he would start with his own planet. Your mother knew it would be dangerous, especially for her first born son. You were only two at the time. She sent one of her servants to carry you over to Pylea to be safe. Her family and the royal family of Pylea were good friends. The servant was attacked on the way there and crash-landed on Antar. He dropped you off at the gate of the royal palace."  
  
"The queen and her two children had been out in the garden and saw you standing there looking forlorn. She brought you inside. Her children took an instant liking to you and so she adopted you when she couldn't find your parents. Well, you know the rest from there."  
  
Michael stared at the floor. Maria hugged him from behind.  
  
"Are they…?"  
  
"I think so, I never really paid attention to Carnath news," Lorne answered, "but I think it was a whole Anastasia thing."  
  
"As if life wasn't hard enough," Isabel murmured.  
  
"Oh my God!" Maria exclaimed as it dawned on her.  
  
"What?" Liz asked.  
  
"Courtney!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"She said that some of the skins thought that Michael was the one to unite their planet," she said, "I guess she was right."  
  
"Who's Courtney?" Willow asked.  
  
"A Skin. She said she was part of a revolutionary section of the skins that thought that Rath was the rightful King, that he could reunite their planet…we assumed she meant Antar, but I think she meant Carnath."  
  
Everyone looked at each other thoughtfully. The new revelations took its toll on their new-surprising-thing tolerance. First there's demons, now there are alien kings who fight demons. The group from Roswell retreated to a far corner of the karaoke bar. This news was worse for them. Now not only did they have to protect two worlds, but now three? They had two thrones to reclaim on two different planets. Max and Liz sat across from each other at the table. Isabel and Kyle sat next to Max and Liz while Maria sat on Michael's lap.  
  
"So, what now oh fearless leaders?" Maria asked with a smirk. Max glared at her and Michael for starting it.  
  
"I'm not a leader, I am but a lowly second in command," Michael stated.  
  
"So, how's it feel, Anastasia?" Kyle asked, teasingly. Michael scowled at his new nickname. Isabel snickered.  
  
"Let's focus on the battle at hand," Max stated calmly, "We still need to find out who the chosen is."  
  
"Maybe history guy saw something else while prying into the memories of unsuspecting aliens," Kyle said. They all nodded and went over to where Lorne was sitting at the bar, another martini in hand.  
  
"Did you see anything about the upcoming battle?" Michael asked when he got there.  
  
"Not much," he answered, "Just you guys fighting."  
  
"Did you see who with, or who the chosen is?" Max asked.  
  
"No, I just saw this huge battle. Didn't have time to see who with, I think someone else should sing," he said, "Maria and Michael, why don't you sing again? Or anybody but Angel."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"It's okay, we'll sing again," they said in unison.  
  
"Lorne did you by any chance see what's causing that connection? 'Cause that is getting a little creepy," Gunn said.  
  
"Not really," said Lorne, "This is the first I've heard of it."  
  
"Could it be, you know, alien related?" Max asked.  
  
"Not that I know of," he said, "but then again, I'm not Carnasian so I wouldn't have a clue."  
  
"Perhaps it is because of the mix of blood?" Wesley asked, "the fact that he's hybrid?"  
  
"No, that's not it," Max said softly, "neither of us has ever had that kind of connection, right Is?"  
  
"No, not really," Isabel said, "I mean, Alex always used to seem like he always knew what I was feeling, but he was like that for everyone."  
  
"Maybe she's preggers," Kyle remarked. Michael and Maria glared at him.  
  
"I don't think so Kyle," they said in unison. Kyle rolled his eyes.  
  
"How do you know," he asked, "Are you doctors or something, now?" He stared straight into their scowling faces and then turned to Lorne, "So, do you aliens get connected when you get together, have baby Czechs?"  
  
"I don't think so," Max stated quietly, "I never felt Tess." There was an awkward silence after that statement. Tess was obviously still a sore spot amongst the group. Max and Liz trained their eyes on their shoes and the polished floors of Caritas. Michael and Maria threw Kyle an 'I-told-you-so- but-I'm-still-relieved' look. Xander cleared his throat loudly to ease the tension.  
  
"So, um, what do we do now?" he asked.  
  
"Well, since we know that the chosen is unlike the population and we've narrowed it down to slayers, demons, witches and vampires, I think we should probably check with Faith," Angel said  
  
"She could be the chosen since she's been on the both sides," Giles added.  
  
They all agreed that Angel and the slayers were to go to the jail to pay Faith a visit. Michael and Isabel tagged along to either stick with a significant other or to get away from the sickeningly sappy couples. By then, it was 7:30 so they took Angel's convertible. Isabel sat shotgun and Michael, Maria and Buffy squeezed in the back. The Roswell residents were excited to meet the dreaded Faith and Angel was just glad to see an old friend again. Buffy didn't really want to go but felt it was her duty as Slayer to check out the prospects for the savior of the world.  
  
She looked across the back seat to the couple that was wrapped in each other's arms. Maria was singing along with the radio that she fought tooth and nail with Angel to put on a pop station. Michael tried his best to scowl at her when she tried to make him sing along with *NSYNC's Gone. After a few seconds of resistance, he finally began to sing along. Surprisingly, he knew all the words. Isabel was also sitting in the front seat, mouthing the words to the song, with a melancholy look on her face. Buffy remembered that look. After all, she had donned that look four times in her twenty years of life. Twice for the figure sitting in the driver's seat trying to ignore the fact that he out aged the other occupants of the car even before he died.  
  
Angel pulled her from her reverie. He had just announced that they had arrived at the jailhouse. They hopped out of the car and headed over to the door. Buffy was slightly anxious for her first visit to a jail. The others didn't seem to be strangers to the place, although they had probably never seen one this size. There were a lot of criminals in LA.  
  
When they asked for Faith and received their visitors' badges, they were led to a room where they could talk to her. They took a seat and waited, as she was lead in by a police officer. He walked out and closed the door behind him.  
  
"Angel," she said, as she embraced him.  
  
"Hey, Faith," he said, "How's it going?"  
  
"Great, I'm getting early parole for good behavior," she said, "Hard to believe, huh? It's a good thing, too, because this place is just downright boring. A little bit again and I would've busted out just for entertainment."  
  
Angel laughed. Buffy couldn't remember the last time she heard him laugh. Faith finally noticed the others in the room. She looked confused for a minute, as if trying to remember the faces. Their identities must have dawned on her because she greeted them with a smile.  
  
"Hey! Rath and Lonnie, you guys finally come to check your best buddy in jail!" she said, "hey, what's with the get ups, is it Halloween already?"  
  
Michael and Isabel glanced at each other then turned back to Faith, whose smile was fading.  
  
"We're not Rath and Lonnie," Michael said, "I'm Michael, this is Isabel. We're their…twins, sort of."  
  
"Oh, yeah," she said, "they mentioned that there was another set of you in some Hick town, they said y'all shamed and disgraced their faces with your pansy attitudes," Faith said, "So, who's your friend?"  
  
"This is Maria," Angel said, "she's another Slayer."  
  
"Oh, died again, B?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, when do you get out?"  
  
"Actually, I get out tomorrow. God, I can't wait to get out!"  
  
"That's great!" Angel exclaimed, "We could come pick you up tomorrow, if you like. You can stay with us at the hotel."  
  
"Thanks Angel," she said, "then you can fill me in on whatever you came to see me for."  
  
Just then, the police officer came back into the room, signaling for their visit to be over. Faith nodded at him and gave Angel another hug.  
  
"See you tomorrow," he said softly, "what time do you get out?"  
  
"Um, 9:00am. I think maybe you should send someone for me," she said with a laugh.  
  
"See you then." He gave her one last squeeze and they walked out the door. The drive home was silent as they thought about the visit. Everyone was back in the seat they came in. The radio was on yet again, but Michael got his way so it was on K-ROQ. Maria and Michael were singing along to Linkin Park while Isabel stared out the window. She had been quiet ever since the visit. Buffy assumed it was because Faith associated her with Lonnie. Angel seemed happy that Faith was getting out of jail. Buffy was just the silent observer in this group. Michael seemed a little less chipper than usual…no, scratch that, a little more stoic, even though he was singing with his girlfriend. He probably didn't like this Rath guy either. Now, the problem was, if Rath and Lonnie were as bad as they were made out to be, and they were clones of Michael and Isabel and friends of Faith, where did it put them in this battle?  
  
When they returned, they entered Caritas and found seats at the table. Lorne still had the closed sign up, but with a little 'alien magic', they got back in. The others were hanging out on the main floor, drinks in hand. Dawn was currently singing Britney Spears on stage with…Spike? Buffy couldn't believe her eyes. The 'Big Once-Bad' himself was gyrating to Baby one more Time, and singing all the words in perfect tune with the music. She would have to get Dawn to reveal her secret later on. She scanned the floor. Max and Liz were giving each other soulful stares from across a table in the back. Xander, Anya, Cordelia, Gunn and Kyle sat in the front row hooting and cheering them on. Willow and Tara were whispering to each other in the corner. Lorne was sitting at the bar, a Bloody Mary in hand, watching the scene on stage with amusement. The old Brits were in another corner discussing all that is supernatural, as per usual.  
  
She turned to her prison visitor buddies next. Isabel, Michael and Maria were also watching Spike and Dawn with amusement. Angel was just watching in amazement. Who would have thought, Spike would know all the words to Britney Spears! The aliens and the slayers settled in the front row to watch while Angel went to sit in the back by Lorne.  
  
"Hey, anything good?" he asked.  
  
"Besides the fact that Dawn and Spike make a very entertaining couple? Nope."  
  
They turned back to the stage. The song was finally over and the audience was cheering loudly. Spike and Dawn gave silly bows and went back to their seats. Spike was obviously not ashamed of his teenybopper knowledge.  
  
"Come on I wanna go again," Maria said excitedly, "who's coming with me?"  
  
"How 'bout me, baby?"  
  
"Michael, since when are you sleazy?" Dawn asked.  
  
"He ain't," a voice from the stairs said. 


	6. Chapter Six

Category: Buffy/Roswell crossover  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. You can sue me if you want, but, you'll die trying to collect anything of substance. (hint: exchange rate: $6 to US$1) catch my drift?  
  
Author's Note: HEY guyz! Whoever could it be at the door? Hmm…I dunno. Anywayz, Keep readin' and reviewin', then I'll keep writin'. Don't like something? Tell me and I'll think about changing it, if possible. Okay, I'll shut up now.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER SIX  
  
They all turned to the entrance of the demon club. Standing in the doorway was a man with tall spiky hair and piercings galore. He wore a black sleeveless top and baggy, black jeans. He looked a lot like another person that stood downstairs. Michael raised his arm in preparation.  
  
"What are you doing here, Rath," he growled.  
  
"Came to visit my buddy Faith and I hear you's be here too," he said with his thick New York accent, "So I be thinkin', Rath, you better take yo' fine booty for a visit. So here I am. You miss me?"  
  
"I-I thought you were dead," Isabel said, frantically searching behind him with her eyes for her worse half.  
  
"Ain't nothin' to worry about," Rath said, "she ain't here. Khivar got rid a' her as soon as he got his heir."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Yo' man we gots resources unlike you butt cracks."  
  
"We?" Max asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, I broughts some friends for ya. Thought you might be missin' 'em. Ay yo dupe, put down yo' damn hand, I ain't gonna kill ya."  
  
Rath walked further into the karaoke bar and was followed by three figures. Two were male and the other was female. Finally two brunettes and a blonde appeared at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Alex?" Isabel whispered as if talking louder would have caused him to disappear. A wide grin broke out on Alex's face.  
  
"It's me, Izzy," he said, "I told you I would never leave you."  
  
Michael looked between them suspiciously.  
  
"How do we know this isn't a trick?"  
  
"How else do you explain the 'dead' Zan and Alex coming back to life?" Ava asked.  
  
"You're the same as Tess, you could be mind warping us right now," Kyle said. Isabel was still staring at Alex in disbelief. She was slowly inching towards him.  
  
"How about you ask me something only I would know?" Alex suggested.  
  
"Okay," Maria said, after the initial shock had worn off, "what did you give me for my eighth birthday?"  
  
"Oh come on, not in front of everybody," he whined.  
  
"Only way we'll know, buddy."  
  
"Okay," he acquiesced, "It was after your dad left and you were really sad so…I, uh, I borrowed Liz's Ariel costume and performed the whole of The Little Mermaid in your living room," he stuttered, blushing profusely.  
  
"Oh my god, it's Alex," Maria said tearfully. She stepped forward and touched his face gently. Isabel squealed and jumped on Alex kissing him everywhere she could reach. Joyful tears steamed down her cheeks. Liz joined the Alex sandwich. Michael put down his hand and looked a little less suspicious.  
  
"B-but I carried the body," Kyle stammered.  
  
"You carried a body," Zan corrected.  
  
"Maybe you should start from the beginning," Max suggested.  
  
"Okay," Rath said, sitting at the bar, "so Lonnie gets this idea that we's goin' home with Khivar. She thinkin' that I be her little puppy dog but she don't know me."  
  
"Yeah, anyway, she tried to get me to go to that summit thing. See, we remembered everything from back home on Antar, so she remembered bonin' Khivar way back then. She figured that she could play us again like she did last time."  
  
"What she didn't know is that we knew she was a traitor back then, too," Rath continued, "Back home we was gonna kill her but she got us first."  
  
"Anyway," Ava picked up, "she told Rath that she was plannin' to kill Zan and Rath told me and Zan. We planned that we would fake his death so she would trust Rath. So, I mind warped her to think that we killed Zan."  
  
"We came to Roswell to get Max for the summit," Rath said.  
  
"I stayed behind, 'cause I heard Tess and Lonnie scheming to get rid of us. I figured with Max gone, she would get rid of all youse humans," Ava said, "I heard her tellin' Lonnie that she got one of youse humans to translate the book the summer before. I know that you can't keep a mind warp that long so I fixed your friend Alex here."  
  
"We were gonna tell youse that Lonnie was up to no good, but then we found out about that witch Tess, so we leaves you alone," Rath said, "Anyway, since Tess assumed I was on her side, she told me and Lonnie her whole plan and that deal your protector made with Khivar. We couldn't let Khivar get either set of us, so we came back to your friend Alex here."  
  
"I guess this is where I explain," Alex said, "I sort of remembered Ava healing me so when they came back with the plan I went along with it, to save you guys. I had to pretend to go crazy because of the mind warp, and go over by Tess to get her to fix me. We knew she would kill me, so Ava mind warped her into thinking I died. They replaced my body with a husk they found. It didn't originally look like me, but, they did some alien magic on it and voila, dead Alex Whitman. That's why you couldn't heal me, Max."  
  
"Anyway, we've just been lying low, waitin' for my dupe to leave this rock so we could come out," Ava finished. The Pod Squad looked at the dupes in a new respect, even though they were still a little wary of them. They were all, with the exception of Lonnie, just like them. It also didn't hurt that they brought Alex back. Isabel, Liz and Maria hung on to Alex as if their lives depended on it.  
  
"Damn, Whitman, I should try the disappearing thing too. Get a bunch of chicks to hang all over me," Kyle joked.  
  
"Hey, ain't nobody glad to see me? I was 'dead' too you know," Zan complained.  
  
"No lovin' for the New Yorkers, eh?" Rath said, "Yo, get me a screwdriver with tobasco," he ordered Lorne, "coke for the fearless leader, he can't hold his liquor."  
  
"Oh god," Max groaned, "he has the same nicknames as Michael."  
  
"Hey, it's the truth, ain't it?" they both said at the same time. They looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
Cordelia walked over to where Ava was trying to blend into the woodwork. She tried to make conversation with the blond alien. Zan and Rath had their drinks at the bar and were observing the group. Angel offered them a couple of rooms in the hotel to stay in for the time being. At around 11:00 they left Caritas and headed for the hotel. Isabel insisted on sharing a room with Alex since Max and Liz and Michael and Maria could share, and especially since she had been deprived of her Alex for so long. Zan, Rath and Ava shared a room since they didn't know anyone else and weren't that eager to trust. They had decided to wait until Faith got out of jail to go back to Caritas for Lorne to read the rest of them, and for them to train for the upcoming battle. They had yet to figure out who the main players would be and whose side they would be on.  
  
  
  
A woman sat outside watching the union in the hotel. A cold breeze blew her hair into her face as she spied. Her time would come. She would be able to get her job done. It was only a matter of time before the darkness would emerge from light. It was only a matter of time before she could join in the fight. She threw her hair over her shoulders as she sauntered away. Only a matter of time.  
  
  
  
1 The sun was shining and the concrete was gray. In an old hotel in LA, 2 vampires, 2 witches, 2 watchers, 2 slayers, 6 humans, 6 aliens, an ex-demon and a key were gathered in the basement. Books were spread around them as they continued to research the impending doom of mankind. It was now 9:00 am and they still hadn't found anything. Three worked on translating an ancient scroll and nineteen attempted to make sense of old, but not as ancient books. Eight pairs and two triples scattered the well-lit, but still dreary room.  
  
It was decided that four would collect the other slayer from prison. Rath, Michael, Maria and Ava went to get Faith out of jail. Her parole started today at 9:00 and they wanted to meet her there. Angel had wanted to go also, but the sun made that a little difficult. After a lot of argument on Angel's part, the four teenagers got to drive his black convertible, which Michael and Rath had been dying to get their hands on. The two of them thought very much alike, though they would like to think not. They actually got into a fight over who would get to drive, until Ava got fed up and ordered Michael to drive them there and Rath to drive them back.  
  
When they finally got there, they had to wait half an hour for Faith to finish the necessary paperwork for her release. They sat out in the parking lot waiting for her in the hot sun, with the top down and the wind blowing through their hair. Finally Faith burst through the door like she owned the place, clad in tight black leather pants and a black tank top. Rath grinned as she approached.  
  
"Hey, babe," he said as she climbed into the back seat.  
  
"Hey," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, "Where's Lonnie?"  
  
"Dead."  
  
"Good," she said as she nibbled on his ear.  
  
"Yo dupe! You drive," he said, practically flying into the back seat. He almost landed on Maria who was leaning against Michael. Michael grinned and climbed into the front seat. By unspoken agreement, Maria and Ava switched seats. So, they headed back to the hotel with Rath and Faith making out in the backseat next to Ava who wasn't even trying to hide her disgusted face. Maria was singing along with the radio as per usual, and Michael was cussing out the not-so-good drivers on the road.  
  
At the hotel, they headed straight for the training room where everyone else was gathered and dressed for some heavy-duty exercise.  
  
"W'sup Gang, I'm back!" Faith said, in way of a greeting, "You miss me?"  
  
Angel, Zan and the Roswell Gang greeted her warmly while the Sunnydale and LA crew greeted her with a bit of contempt. Faith was still a sore spot for them, even after a year of absence. She had created deep wounds in them that had yet to heal. The newcomers heard the stories but still accepted her. They, of all people, should know that the past isn't everything.  
  
"Okay, I am in need of a good fight now, a whole year is way too much time to be out of business," Faith said, "How 'bout it, B, a little one on one?"  
  
"Sure," Buffy answered. 'Maybe I can beat the hell out of someone for a change,' she added silently. They moved to the center of the room and the others surrounded them like a human (and alien) boxing ring. They circled each other like predators until Faith finally attacked.  
  
Her movements were slow at first, but as the fight progressed, she became more swift and precise. She was returning to her original strength as slayer, which had been repressed while in jail. The fight was pretty much balanced until Faith ducked and tripped Buffy and then pinned her to the floor. Buffy glared at Faith from beneath her. Faith put on a triumphant smile and jumped up.  
  
"Interesting," Wesley murmured to Giles, "you don't suppose she's lost her Slayer powers because of dying twice?"  
  
Giles stared at Buffy as he mulled over the idea.  
  
"Perhaps," he said, finally, "Maybe we should have her fight Angel, he should be an equal opponent, right?"  
  
"Yes, he should." Wesley called Angel over and explained their theory. Angel agreed to spar against Buffy. They fought for fifteen minutes until Buffy finally beat him. That at least boosted her self-esteem.  
  
"Well, that's not the problem," Giles commented, "Maybe it's because of the aliens' powers, though, that doesn't explain Faith."  
  
"It also can't work because Max can barely beat Xander," Wesley said.  
  
"We should check the new aliens. What were their names? Rath, Ava and Zan. If they possess the same skill as Michael and Isabel…"  
  
"It could be an alien thing," Wesley said. They made Rath, Ava and Zan first work with the punching bag. This test proved that Rath had the same skill as Michael, Isabel and Faith. Zan and Ava were just as bad as Max and Liz. Alex, who was last, also showed the same skill as Isabel, Rath, Faith, Michael and Maria. This confused the watchers even more.  
  
"Maybe you blokes should call those lazy buggers in the council instead of having us do all this bloody research," Spike said as he came up behind him, "have the bloody pansies translate the thing."  
  
The watchers looked at Spike as if they didn't even think of that, which they hadn't. They ran upstairs to call the Council.  
  
"Duh," Spike said, rolling his eyes, "Okay, I got the bloody wankers off our case for a while," he announced to the group, "what do we do with our free time?"  
  
"Ooh, I want to see the alien powers!" Dawn exclaimed.  
  
"Um, okay," Max said, "who do you want to see first?"  
  
"You can start…oh fearless leader," she said. Max muttered something under his breath about excess Michaels and moved to stand in the middle of the room. He raised his green shield in front of him.  
  
"Lame!" Spike shouted.  
  
"Heal something, Maxwell," Michael said.  
  
"Fine, you want to be the guinea pig?" Michael shrugged and walked up to the King…well one of the kings. He cut his arm on one of the axes and showed it to the others.  
  
"Ooh, blood," he said, jokingly. Max laid his hand on it and concentrated. His hand started to glow and Michael's arm was perfect again. The Sunnydale gang was amazed. It was a cool trick…if you weren't accustomed to it as the Roswell and New York gangs were.  
  
"You're next, Zanther," Rath said. Zan grumbled under his breath and stood next to Max. He raised his hand and shapeshifted into Max's form. He was clean cut and shaven. He lost the piercings and tattoos. He then shifted again until his hair fell to his back and was a bright red. He got bigger muscles and a goatee. He then morphed back into himself.  
  
"Cool," Xander said, "Can you all do that?"  
  
"Rath, Zan and Ava can because they've had more practice," Isabel said, "we probably could if we tried."  
  
"Yeah, but Rath is the best at it," Ava said, "This is what Tess would look like, by the way," she added as she changed her hair to its natural blond, curly texture. She changed her clothes into a more Tess oriented style. She spun around once and then changed back.  
  
"Mind warp them," Maria urged.  
  
"Okay." She closed her eyes in concentration. They all laughed as they saw Giles and Wesley in the middle of the room dancing in pink g-strings with florescent green mohawks. The image dropped as the real Giles and Wesley returned. The group watched them and then collapsed into hysterical laughter.  
  
"What's going on?" Giles asked, wondering if they had all gone mad. Ava showed them the picture and they turned beet red to the roots of their hair. This made the group laugh even harder. Spike and Dawn were rolling on the floor laughing. Even Angel was laughing at them.  
  
"Okay, next," Dawn said, "you go Isabel."  
  
"Well, I can dream walk but you can't really see that," she said, "and well, change molecular structure but we can all do that." She shrugged and walked over to Angel. She waved her hand over his shirt and turned it bright pink with red polka dots. She made his pants fire engine red leather and made it tighter. She then touched the walls and turned them a light blue color. They laughed at Angel's new outfit until he practically begged Isabel to change it back. She did, though reluctantly.  
  
Rath was up next. He shapeshifted into Dawn and silently stood next to her while she was watching Isabel. Dawn turned and screamed.  
  
"Oh my God! Who is that?" she asked after she caught her breath.  
  
"Damn you short, baby," Rath said, smirking. He walked over to Buffy and morphed into her as he walked. Buffy poked him to see if he felt any different. He then morphed into Spike.  
  
"Having fun, you little buggers?" he asked in a Spike voice. He morphed back into himself.  
  
"Okay, who didn't we see…Michael!" Xander said.  
  
"I don't have much control over my powers," he said, "I tend to blow things up."  
  
"Explosions are always good," Xander said.  
  
"Okay," he said. He raised his arm and pointed at the old chair in the corner. It exploded.  
  
"What about that thing you showed me?" Maria asked.  
  
"I've never been able to do that on my own," he answered.  
  
"Then I'll help," she said. She joined Michael in the middle of the room and joined hands with him. The others looked on with fascination. They raised their linked hands in the air and closed their eyes. A bright blue light appeared in the middle of them. They opened their eyes and stepped back. It floated there in the middle of the room. The surface of the ball of light swirled until it was a red color. It then turned purple and green and orange before splitting into 23 tiny balls and spreading to everyone in the room. Liz, Max, Isabel and Buffy poked it in fascination. Faith reached out and grabbed it boldly. It disintegrated into tiny little sparks. The other balls followed suit then reconvened in the center of the room above Michael and Maria. It then lowered until it re-entered their bodies. They glowed for a second before stepping away from each other.  
  
"That…was so cool!" Dawn exclaimed, "It was so pretty, can you all do it?"  
  
"We don't know," Max said, "That's the first time I've seen it. Michael, why didn't you show us?"  
  
"And give you a reason for another meeting? I think not," Michael and Maria said in unison.  
  
"They're back at that again?" Anya whined.  
  
"It happens more after we do that," they said, "that's why we don't do it often."  
  
"What's it for?" Xander asked.  
  
"Not the slightest clue," they said.  
  
"Maybe that's why Maria started developing powers," Liz suggested. They shrugged.  
  
"Who knows."  
  
"Rath, you practice a lot, can you do that?"  
  
"No."  
  
"So, what did the Council say?" Spike asked, changing the subject.  
  
"We faxed them a copy of the scroll, they should have it translated within the hour, or so they say," Giles said, "Whether they tell us what is says or not, is another question."  
  
"Aren't they supposed to tell, though?" Liz asked.  
  
"They like to control things, especially the information they have and choose to give out. I think we should check out the demon underground, find out what's been raised recently. Maybe we're going about it the wrong way. Perhaps we should search for whatever is being raised instead of the chosen."  
  
"Okay, then, Angel, you and Gunn go to Merl and ask him if he's heard anything," Wesley instructed, "Um, we'll have to find out if Wolfram and Hart are up to something. They might be a part of it. Willow, maybe you should try to get into their database."  
  
"I'll try, but I'm not that good at hacking," she replied.  
  
"Let Alex do it," Isabel said, "he got into an FBI computer once, he could probably get Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"Yeah, I've been computerless for way too long," he said.  
  
"Okay, great, the computer's upstairs, tell Cordelia what you will need and whatnot."  
  
"What do we do?" Max asked.  
  
"Um, weak fighters stay here and train," he said, "we need you ready to do battle if we can't find the chosen. Work on your powers, they might be helpful. Everyone else can do research, or train, whatever you want once it's helpful. Giles and I will be trying to translate upstairs. If you want to help, be my guest."  
  
"God, this sucks," Michael and Maria said.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Rath said, "I really don't want to read anymore of those damn books."  
  
"Oh well," Kyle said, "Onward through the pages."  
  
They headed upstairs to find something to do. There wasn't really much they could do. They had been through almost all the books in the whole hotel, if it wasn't there yesterday, it wouldn't be there now.  
  
"I'm gonna sleep, that was way too early a morning for me," Michael and Maria said.  
  
"Damn it, stop doin' that!" Kyle yelled.  
  
"We would if we could, jock!" they yelled back. They gave him the death glare, then went upstairs to their room.  
  
"No nookie now!" Faith yelled up to them, "It's not the same as sleeping."  
  
  
  
The sun hung high in the sky, shedding its blue light into the dark crevices of the land. The walls of the capital stood high above the tops of the houses. The palace lay at the center of the great city. The most powerful family of the planet rested within its walls. It's royal blue walls shone in the light of the sun. Its golden doors were open to the wide expanse of garden that lay before the grounds. The inside of the palace was in complete disarray.  
  
"We must gather an army at once!" she cried, "I will not have my kingdom ruled by that tyrant!"  
  
"Yes your majesty." Her secretary bowed and then ran out of the room in search of the warlord. The queen paced the length of the room.  
  
"We cannot have Khivar rule our planet," she said.  
  
"Yes, quite right, your majesty," her advisor said.  
  
"Whatever will we do, Waltham?" she asked, "we are not prepared for war, not yet. We have not had a war in one hundred years! Not since my great great grandfather's rule. It must mean that I am a bad ruler," she ranted as she paced, "I cannot believe that I have let a war be declared. I should have prevented this! This kingdom will be in ruins or worse, enslaved!"  
  
"I am sure we will prevail, your highness," Waltham replied, eyes following her slender form across the room.  
  
"And what of my son? Surely we must leave a throne for him to receive, my husband would roll in his grave if he did not."  
  
"Prince Deimon will ascend to the throne, your grace," he said. Just then, a young boy ran into the room and clung to his mother's legs. He buried his face in her dress.  
  
"What is the matter, my son?" she bent down to pick him up. It was then that she noticed his tear stained cheeks. He clung to her for dear life. It was as if he knew that they wouldn't be together for much longer. She sat down and patted her son's back, calming the crying toddler.  
  
"If only you could speak," she whispered, "I wish I knew what was wrong."  
  
Suddenly the doors burst open to reveal the General. He wore a green uniform that displayed his many awards. He looked distressed  
  
"My Queen," he said, bowing his head, "I must speak with you alone."  
  
"Okay. Waltham," she said, signaling for her advisor to leave.  
  
"Your majesty, I have reason to believe that there may be a traitor amongst us."  
  
"How so?"  
  
The general smiled a slow, evil smile, "Because, my allegiance is not with you," he said as he raised a gun to her head. The Queen began to back away from him. She clutched her son tightly, then put him down behind her. She would protect him even if it killed her.  
  
"You may kill me," she whispered, "but please, let my son go."  
  
"I think not, your highness," he said menacingly, "We can't have any heirs around, now can we?"  
  
"So be it," she said steadily, "but know this, you shall be damned forever for this crime. To kill a child of only two years. All for Khivar, what did he offer you, huh? For the relinquishing of your soul and conscience. Must be a tidy sum."  
  
"Lord Khivar is quite generous. But enough of this chit chat. I shall be done with you now," he said preparing to fire.  
  
"I have failed you. I love you, my son," she whispered to the toddler that stood behind her. She shut her eyes and waited for the shot.  
  
"NO!" Michael screamed. He shot up panting in a cold sweat. Tears streamed down his face. "Mom," he said in a tortured whisper.  
  
"Shh, Michael. It's only a dream," Maria whispered, trying to calm him down. She held him against her chest as he cried. Suddenly, the door burst open and the light went on. Everyone in the hotel came barreling into the hotel room.  
  
"What happened?" Max asked.  
  
"I don't know. I think he had a nightmare. Go away, he won't tell with all of you here," Maria said quietly. Everyone but the Pod Squad left the room, convinced it was only a nightmare. Max, Liz, Alex, Isabel and Kyle sat in the living room, waiting for Michael and Maria to emerge from their bedroom. Ten minutes later, Maria and a very distraught Michael walked into the living room.  
  
"I saw her," Michael said, quietly.  
  
"Saw who?" Max asked.  
  
"My mother," Michael whispered.  
  
"Really? Oh my god, Michael!" Isabel cried. She embraced Michael quickly. She was surprised by the fear that was being emitted from him.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, "What happened?"  
  
"Th-there was a war. Khivar was going to attack the kingdom, try to take it over. There hadn't been a war there in one hundred years so they were rushing around trying to build an army to fight and beat Khivar," he said, "Sh-she called up the general to find out the plans. He came to her office and told her that he had to speak to her alone, so she sent away her advisor. I was still there with her, I don't know, it seemed like I knew what was going to happen to her but I couldn't say. She kept saying 'if only you could talk' I guess she knew that I knew that something was wrong."  
  
"So, what happened?"  
  
"He said that there was a traitor among us, and she asked how he knew and he told her it was because he was it," Michael continued, sadly, "H-he was going to kill us so that Khivar could have free reign. She stalled him for a while, you know, talking to him, she was trying to get him to let me go, but he wouldn't. He said there couldn't be any heirs. Then," he said, anger starting to creep into his depressed voice, "he started to pull the trigger. That's when I woke up, I don't know what happened after."  
  
The group was silent. They were sad for Michael. All he ever wanted was a family and the only time he got to see a member was to see them die. Isabel hugged her surrogate brother before ushering the others out. Maria took his hand and led him back to the bed. She put him to lie down then lay down behind him in the same position she held almost a year ago. She held him until he fell asleep again. She, too, fell asleep with her arms around him.  
  
  
  
Lilah entered her dark office and walked to its large window. She loved the view from there. She could see all the city lights from there. She could see the Hyperian Hotel from there, the place that their worst enemy resides. She sighed. Angel would have to wait for another time. Right now, she had to go get her new client. She turned away from the window and walked out the door.  
  
  
  
"So be it," she said steadily, "but know this, you shall be damned forever for this crime. To kill a child of only two years. All for Khivar, what did he offer you, huh? For the relinquishing of your soul and conscience. Must be a tidy sum."  
  
"Lord Khivar is quite generous. But enough of this chit chat. I shall be done with you now," he said preparing to fire.  
  
"I have failed you. I love you, my son," she whispered to the toddler that stood behind her. She shut her eyes and waited for the shot.  
  
"NO! MAMA!" he screamed, as his mother hit the floor.  
  
He jolted awake. He tears streamed down his two-year-old face. The light from the sun reflected off his glistening skin. He looked around his room in the palace. The fear he felt from the dream was still fresh in his mind. He jumped off his bed and ran through the passage that would take him to the one person that he needed to see, his mother.  
  
"What's the matter, my son?" she asked as she bent down to pick him up. He hugged her tightly to him, savoring the feel of his mother's arms. He wanted to remember her if his dream was true. He didn't want it to be true, but he was sure it was. It was realistic, like the time he dreamt his father died. When he woke up, his mother told him the news. He had been scared to sleep after that, scared to dream. He didn't like to know the future.  
  
"If only you could speak," she said, "I wish I knew what was wrong."  
  
He wished so, too. Damn the royal traits! Nobody in the royal family could speak until they were three years old. It made it difficult for him to warn mama. Why have the dreams if you could do nothing about them? Well, he would try at least.  
  
Suddenly the doors burst open to reveal the General.  
  
"My Queen," he said, bowing his head, "I must speak with you alone."  
  
"Okay. Waltham," she said, signaling for her advisor to leave.  
  
'Oh no! No, don't leave, Waltham!' the prince thought. He clutched his mother tighter. 'No, mama, no!' he tried to say, but still couldn't. He tried to relay the message by frantically squeezing her.  
  
"Your majesty, I have reason to believe that there may be a traitor amongst us." Oh no. He knew where this was going.  
  
"How so?"  
  
The general smiled a slow, evil smile, "Because, my allegiance is not with you," he said as he raised a gun to her head. The Queen began to back away from him. She clutched her son tightly, then put him down behind her.  
  
"You may kill me," she whispered, "but please, let my son go."  
  
"I think not, your highness," he said menacingly, "We can't have any heirs around, now can we?"  
  
"So be it," she said steadily, "but know this, you shall be damned forever for this crime. To kill a child of only two years. All for Khivar, what did he offer you, huh? For the relinquishing of your soul and conscience. Must be a tidy sum."  
  
"Lord Khivar is quite generous. But enough of this chit chat. I shall be done with you now," he said preparing to fire.  
  
"I have failed you. I love you, my son," she whispered to the toddler that stood behind her. She shut her eyes and waited for the shot.  
  
"NO!" he screamed, jumping in front of her. He raised his arm and released his rage on the unsuspecting soldier. A blue beam of light hit the general in the arm, throwing the gun out of his hand. He stared at him in shock.  
  
"You will not kill mama!" He raised his arm again, this time aiming for the heart. He concentrated and shot him again. The general fell to the floor, writhing in pain. An animalistic scream emerging from his throat.  
  
Just then, the door burst open, revealing Waltham and two guards. They glanced from the fallen warlord and the Queen.  
  
"Take him to the dungeons," she managed to choke out in her shock. The men bowed before grabbing the general and carrying him out of the room. Waltham remained with the Queen. Deimon collapsed against her in exhaustion. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. She then picked him up and carried him to her bedroom. She lay him on the bed and stroked his hair gently.  
  
"It'll be okay, little one," she whispered, "You are truly special. You saved me and I thank you. My baby talked," she continued, silent tears mingling with the words, "I always wished to hear you speak before I died."  
  
"What happened, your highness?" Waltham asked.  
  
"My son saved my life," she said softly.  
  
"What happened with the general?"  
  
"He was working for Khivar," she said, "He tried to kill us, but Deimon saved me. He has powers, how is that so?"  
  
"I do not know, my Queen," he said.  
  
"Well, find out," she ordered, "I want to know if this will harm him in any way. Go to the royal doctors, have them look into the family tree or something, find out why and how dangerous this is."  
  
"Yes, your majesty," Waltham said. He bowed and walked out of the room.  
  
"Michael! Michael!" a voice was calling him out of slumber. He opened his eyes to see Maria towering over him. She had a worried expression on her face.  
  
"What happened?" Michael asked, not liking her facial expression.  
  
"You were dreaming," she said, "you cried out in your sleep and then blasted a hole in Angel's wall. What happened?"  
  
"I saw her again," he said, "My mother, she didn't get shot."  
  
"So, what happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure what it means, but it started off with what I saw before and then I woke up. I was two. It was like, some kind of prophetic dream or something. I ran to her to warn her, but I couldn't talk because of some…royal trait or something. Anyway, the same thing happened like last time, but this time it went further. He was gonna shoot her, but then I jumped out from behind her and blasted him. That's probably what happened with the wall."  
  
"How come she didn't blast him herself?"  
  
"She couldn't. I wasn't even supposed to have powers. She sent Waltham to figure it out for her. I think we should see Lorne, he might know what that was about."  
  
"Yeah, we should tell the others. What about Rath?"  
  
"We'll have to tell him, too. He'll be mad we didn't tell him before, though, I know I would."  
  
"Well, let's go. Maybe he's been having the dreams, too."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They walked out of the bedroom, prepared to tell the others the news. They were surprised to find them sitting in their living room area. Max, Liz, Isabel and Alex shared the couch. Kyle sat in the easy chair that sat in the corner. Spike, Dawn, Rath and Faith were playing poker on the floor in front of the other sofa, which held Angel, Cordelia and Gunn. Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and Buffy were watching TV in the other corner. Ava sat in a chair across from Kyle with Zan sitting on the floor beside her. Wesley and Giles were nowhere in sight.  
  
"Uh, hey guys," Maria said, "What's up?"  
  
"Care to explain why there's a hole in my hotel?" Angel asked, crossing his arms.  
  
"Uh, okay," Michael said. He quickly explained his dreams to them. Rath was furious, as expected, but was intrigued by this new…mother thing. He never had one either so it was all new to him. He didn't have any recollection of this, though. He could remember things from his past life, but only from his life in the Royal Four.  
  
"Are you sure this isn't just a subconscious manifestation to justify what Lorne said?" Gunn asked. They stared at him. "What?"  
  
"I think I can tell the difference between a dream and a memory or vision, whatever that was," Michael said. They agreed that the Pod Squad and Angel would go to Caritas to talk to Lorne.  
  
  
  
She walked into the warehouse, heels clicking loudly on the hard, concrete floor, the percussion sound ricocheting off the bare walls. The dim candlelight flickered in the night. She looked around the room. It was pretty plain, for a calling ritual, really it was just a portal opening. She was getting anxious. This new client was supposedly the most powerful they ever had. She wondered who he was. Oh well, might as well get a good seat, the ritual was beginning. 


	7. Chapter Seven

1.1  
  
1.2 Disclaimer: *Picks up joint. Takes a drag* Yup. They're mine. I own Buffy and Roswell and that other show I used, what was it? Oh yeah, Angel.  
  
Author's Notes: W'sup my peeps!! Sent another chapter from the garbage heap that is my head. Hope you enjoy it.  
  
I wanna thank you few people for reviewing me! Well, keep readin' and reviewin'. It makes my head bigger.  
  
1.3  
  
1.4  
  
1.5 CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
They sat at the bar of Caritas. The host had just closed up for the night and was mixing a martini for himself behind the bar. His audience of Michael, Maria, Rath, Angel, Liz and Max was waiting patiently.  
  
"So, what can I do for you?" Lorne finally asked.  
  
"You know about the Carnasions, right?" Rath asked, getting straight to the point.  
  
"Don't beat around the bush, do you?" Lorne said, "I know a little. Wasn't much of a geography buff myself."  
  
"Okay. What does it mean when a Carnasian has powers?"  
  
"Um, I don't have the slightest clue. Usually it means they're weird, 'cause nobody on Carnath has powers, well except for communications, but everybody has that. Antarians have powers in a yellow sun, but that's another story."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"The radiation's different, it mutates the cells. On Antar there is a red sun, so there's less radiation."  
  
"And Carnath has a blue sun, right?" Michael asked.  
  
"Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"Today, I had a dream, sort of like a memory. It was on Carnath, but it can't be true because I had powers."  
  
"Can't help you there, I was never big on the interplanetary biology," Lorne said shaking his head, "So, you both saw this?"  
  
"No, only Mike here," Rath answered.  
  
"Hmm," he said, "Why don't you sing and I'll try to read you."  
  
"Separate or together?"  
  
"Uh, separate."  
  
Rath started looking through the lists.  
  
"Yo, these songs suck!"  
  
"Well, you have to choose from there."  
  
"Yeah right. Screw that."  
  
"Uh, I think I have some never used songs back here somewhere," Lorne said. He dug through the drawers until he came up with two more lists.  
  
"Better. Give me that one." He grabbed a mic and waited for the music.  
  
1.5.1 Say your prayers little one  
  
Don't forget my son  
  
To include everyone  
  
I'll tuck you in  
  
Warm within  
  
Keep you free from sin  
  
'Til the Sandman he comes  
  
Sleep with one eye open  
  
Gripping the pillow tight  
  
Exit light  
  
Enter night  
  
Take my hand  
  
We're off to never never land  
  
Michael picked another microphone and joined him on stage. They finished the Metallica song together. (A.N.: Enter Sandman for those who want to know)  
  
"So, what did you see?" Rath asked as he finished.  
  
"The life of General Rath basically, nothing about Carnath."  
  
"What do you see when Michael sings?" Max asked.  
  
"Prince Deimon, nothing about Rath."  
  
"Maybe Rath was a schizo back on Antar," Maria joked. Rath glared at her.  
  
"That's it!" Liz exclaimed suddenly.  
  
"Are you implying that I was nutso back then? I don't think so," Rath growled.  
  
"No, I think I figured out why you guys are like you are," she said excitedly, "Look, the scientists cloned your essence to make you right?" They nodded. "Well, maybe they had to split it, but then each had half a personality."  
  
"Not seeing the point," Maria said.  
  
"One got the good side, the other got the bad," Liz said, "For exanple, Isabel got the good half of Vilandra and Lonnie got the part that betrayed everybody."  
  
"So, Lonnie got Vilandra concentrate?" Maria asked.  
  
"Yeah, in a way. It's the same with Tess and Ava. Tess is bad Ava and Ava is good Ava."  
  
"Yeah, but how do you explain Maxwell and Zanther?" Michael asked.  
  
"They both got half a personality," Rath said. Michael and Maria snickered. Liz frowned.  
  
"Yeah, but which half is which?" Max wondered, unaware that he was being made fun of. They shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, but Michael and Rath are basically the same," Angel commented.  
  
"Except memory-wise," Lorne said as realization hit, "Michael is Prince Deimon and Rath is General Rath, second-in-command to King Zan."  
  
"Exactly," Liz said proudly.  
  
"Okay, so that'll make Izzy happy," Max commented.  
  
"Yeah, Ava too. She's been worried about that ever since she heard about Tess," Rath said.  
  
"Hey Rath, what happened to the bad English?" Maria asked.  
  
"That was mostly just to make Lonnie think I was dumb so she'd tell me all her plans," he shrugged, "it sorta stuck until I got stuck with you guys."  
  
"What's Zan and Ava's excuse?"  
  
"They're dumb. The evil half of Ava must have been the smart half, and, well, I would say that Zan was run over by a truck, but then I'd be lying."  
  
'And the mystery is solved. Maxwell got the book smarts, Zanther got the street smarts,' Michael thought to Maria. She snickered.  
  
"What?" asked Liz.  
  
Maria exchanged amused glances with Michael and said, "Nothing."  
  
"Larek," Michael said suddenly.  
  
"What?"  
  
Suddenly, Max's cell phone rang.  
  
"Hello?" he answered, "Oh, hey Brody."  
  
"It's Larek," the voice on the other end said.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I'm in LA, your parents told me you were here, where can I meet you?"  
  
"Uh, the Hyperion hotel. It's…"  
  
"I know where it is. I'll be there in ten minutes."  
  
"We better head back," Max announced, "that was Larek, I think he has to tell us something."  
  
They jumped in the car; Lorne included, and headed back to the hotel. As they arrived, a black BMW pulled up at the entrance. Brody/Larek sauntered up to the doors and walked in like he owned the place. The people who didn't know him looked on in astonishment.  
  
"I see you have found the duplicates," he said, noticing Rath, Zan, and Ava, "Okay, Max, we have just received your Queen and your heir, why are you still here?"  
  
"She betrayed us," Max answered, "Our protector made a deal with Khivar that she was to have my heir and then return to Antar to turn us in to Khivar for execution."  
  
"So, she is with Khivar," he stated, "We shall have to detain her. Why are you in Los Angeles?"  
  
"Apocalypse."  
  
"Oh, okay. I shall leave then."  
  
"Hey wait a minute," Michael called, "What do you know about Carnath?"  
  
Larek looked at him strangely. "Why do you want to know of Carnath?"  
  
"Just answer the question," Rath said impatiently.  
  
"It was peaceful until Khivar took over, sort of a tourist attraction."  
  
"Do they have any powers?"  
  
"No, although, there was a prophecy about it like, 100 years ago. Nobody really took it on though."  
  
"Great, more prophecies," Cordelia grumbled. Larek looked at them oddly.  
  
"What's going on? Why the sudden interest in Carnath?" Larek demanded.  
  
"Tell you later," Michael said, "What was the prophecy?"  
  
"Um, I don't remember it off-hand. I'll have to get it from one of my priests. I'll make this body sleep while I check, but first tell me why."  
  
"Long story short, Michael's the long lost Prince Deimon."  
  
"Of Carnath? But how is that possible?"  
  
"No time, just go find out."  
  
Larek left the body and Brody collapsed. They lay him on a bed upstairs.  
  
"So, did the Council find anything?" Maria asked.  
  
"Well, they translated most of it, except for one part in which they can't identify the language."  
  
"What does it say?"  
  
"There will be an arrival in the year of three slayers. His arrival from light will bring darkness upon this Earth. The chosen will battle with him, the strong and the powerful, from three worlds. The protectors of the chosen and the risen will also fight until the battle is won."  
  
"Okay, that helped so much," Cordelia said sarcastically.  
  
"Did they find anything else?"  
  
"Not really. They think the chosen is probably the Slayer…well one of them."  
  
"They would," Spike commented.  
  
Just then, Larek came down the stairs. He made his way over to the couch and sat down.  
  
"Well?" Michael asked expectantly.  
  
"In a time of war, one will arise from the soil of Carnath, with powers few but great. Together, the chosen and its protectors will battle with the forces that refuse peace upon our planet. The chosen and the protectors have known loss. The protectors, four, have been on the line of good and evil, the chosen have lost trust, but all are loyal to beliefs and are stronger than all, in battle and in mind."  
  
"So, we have to look for another five people when we're done with this? Great, just great," Cordelia complained.  
  
"Let me see that scroll," Michael said. Wesley handed it over to him, and he looked at it  
  
"Hey, Maxwell, doesn't it look like the drawings from the cave?"  
  
"Yeah, it does," Max said, shocked. Michael grabbed it and went over to Larek.  
  
"What does this mean?" he asked, shoving it in his face. Larek took it and began to read.  
  
"It's the prophecy, the one I just told you," he answered.  
  
"Figured as much," he said, pacing in front of them.  
  
"How'd you know?" Zan asked.  
  
"Think it's a coincidence they both have 'the Chosen' and 'the Protectors'?"  
  
"We still have to find them though," Ava said.  
  
"No, I think we have them already," Spike said.  
  
"Well, great! Who is it?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Well, the chosen is the strong and the powerful, we've been assuming it's one person, but it's probably two. The strong, also known as Maria Deluca, and the powerful, also know as Michael Guerin. See, that's the three worlds right there, Antar, Earth and Carnath," he said, "Since this seems to mostly concern you alien people, we can assume that the arrival is Khivar, 'cause…duh. The protectors are a little harder. They are the strongest in battle, right?"  
  
"So, it's slayers?" Buffy asked.  
  
"No, pet, hate to spoil your fun, but no," Spike said, "It's four of 'em, the strongest. And who has beaten the crap out of you and Peaches all week? Michael, Isabel, Rath, Faith and Alex. We cancel Michael cause he's already part of the chosen."  
  
"Now, all we have to find is Khivar's protectors," Alex said.  
  
"Does it say anything else?" Giles asked Larek.  
  
"Um, just that the protectors aren't easily known, but had been discovered with time," he answered, still scanning the parchment.  
  
"Whatever that means," Kyle commented.  
  
"Actually," Michael said, "That gives us at least one of them, Tess."  
  
"Maybe Lonnie?" Maria suggested.  
  
"Who're the other two?"  
  
"Well, it can't be Nicholas because he was evil to begin with," Isabel listed.  
  
"And there aren't any more bad royal four left," Ava said.  
  
"Who knows?" Michael shrugged.  
  
"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Larek said, looking up at them.  
  
"What is it?" asked Giles.  
  
"There is still a part of the scroll that needs to be decoded," he explained. He walked up to the counter and lay the document flat in front of it. Everyone crowded around him. "You see, here?" he said, pointing to a paragraph of symbols, "This is the part I just read. It is ancient Antarian. All nobles must learn the ancient languages of their planet, so it is easy for me to read." He pointed to another part. "This is another language altogether. I think it may be ancient Carnasian, or one of the other planets in our system."  
  
"So, you can't translate it," Buffy stated.  
  
"I could," he stated, "it will just take me a while. I would have to release this body and consult some books and the royal linguists. Someone should be able to translate it."  
  
"So, you don't know anything at all? Nothing looks familiar?" asked Wesley.  
  
"Just that it has something to do with the king," Larek said, a look of concentration on his face, "See this symbol? It means the same in any language: The King." Larek shook his head. "I am sorry, but I am of little help."  
  
"How long would it take to translate?" asked Max.  
  
"It would take at least a day, if we are lucky."  
  
"Well, we at least know who the chosen is," Wesley said, looking pointedly at Michael and Maria, "I'd say we have gotten a little ahead."  
  
'Great, now we're the chosen. Six people to save three planets, that's my idea of fun,' Michael thought sarcastically to Maria.  
  
'Yeah, way to bring out the pressure.'  
  
'Man, don't you wish we didn't know anything now?'  
  
'Yeah, damn powers.'  
  
'Damn prophecies.'  
  
'Do you think you'll have to go back and rule?'  
  
'I hope not. I want to stay here with you.'  
  
'You know, if you'd have said that last year I would have laughed in your face and checked you for weed?'  
  
'I would have turned myself in for rehab,' Michael laughed.  
  
Larek watched the two with interest. They finally noticed him staring at them.  
  
"Keep watching us like that, we're gonna charge admission," they said. Larek looked surprised.  
  
"I see you're freaked out by this, too," Kyle said as he walked over to him, "Can you, like get them to stop doing that? It's getting incredibly annoying."  
  
"Screw you too Valenti," they said, glaring at him before they returned to their inward conversation.  
  
"How long have they been like this?" Larek asked.  
  
Kyle shrugged, "Since they did the nasty, I guess."  
  
Larek nodded, watching them carefully. They finally got up and went to the kitchen.  
  
"Have you guys noticed anything strange about Michael and Maria?" he asked the whole room.  
  
"I don't know, is talking in unison weird?" Xander asked.  
  
"Maria has been developing our powers," Isabel answered, "She can manipulate molecular structure."  
  
"Oh, and I think she telepathically communicates with Michael," Liz added. Larek nodded in thought. He turned to the others.  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Well," Giles started, "when they are apart, it hinders their fighting ability. She can't control her strength and loses energy easily, and Michael, well, loses all strength, and I'm beginning to see the reason why the furniture upstairs blew up. I thought it was one of Willow's spells gone awry, but knowing about his powers, I think he did it."  
  
"Yeah, I've noticed that he has more control over his powers when Maria's around. I just thought he was practicing more," Max added.  
  
"How long?"  
  
"I don't know," he said, "He's gained more control since we joined up with them than he's ever had, but more so now that he's joined to Maria at the hip."  
  
"So, what's the verdict?" Michael asked as they walked up behind the group. They all looked guiltily at them. "What?"  
  
"Prefer to talk behind our backs?"  
  
"We can go upstairs."  
  
"No, actually, I need to talk to you," said Larek, "About the connection."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. It's creepy, yada yada yada. We've heard it all already," Maria interrupted.  
  
"How long have you had it?" he asked.  
  
"About a month."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"Do you know what's causing it?" Max asked. Larek looked around at all of them.  
  
"Well…"  
  
  
  
They stepped into the warehouse proudly, dressed in royal garments of deep purple and gold. The portal closed behind them as they inspected the dark room regally.  
  
"Your majesties," Lilah said, cordially bowing her head, "I am Lilah Morgan, from Wolfram and Hart. My associates and I are honored to have you under our care. I hope you are well?"  
  
"Arise," Khivar said, "and take me to my chambers. I shall not be housed in such surroundings."  
  
"Certainly, my lord," Lilah said, feigning esteem, "I will keep you and your protectors in much better quarters. If you would just follow me."  
  
They complied, and Lilah walked out of the warehouse into the dark night. A chilled wind blew against her skin, blowing her dark brown hair about. She turned back to her pompous guests; heads held high, stares dismissive. This was going to be a long night.  
  
  
  
She paced the length of her office in fury, head bent and shaking with worry. Her heels clicked lightly on the marble floors as she paced. Suddenly the doors slammed open and Waltham came running in.  
  
"You sent for me, your highness?" he asked.  
  
"The city is under attack!" she cried, "How can you be so calm, my kingdom is going to crash!"  
  
"We are working on the force fields as fast as we can, your majesty must be patient," he said.  
  
"Patient!" she cried in exasperation, "Patience is for those who have time! Not those whose planet is going to be enslaved by an unseen force!" Her arms flailed above her head as she talked. "Does anyone even know what Khivar looks like?"  
  
"No, my Queen," he muttered, bowing his head in shame.  
  
"For all we know, YOU could be Khivar!" she continued to rant, her pacing becoming quicker, "This is not good, Waltham."  
  
"We are forming alliances with Antar and Pylea to help save Carnath," he said, trying to reassure the erratic Queen.  
  
"And how are we to fight when we do not know who we are fighting," she continued, her footsteps were becoming heavier.  
  
"We are trying as hard as we can," he said.  
  
"Excuses, excuses," she said, impatiently, "Khivar cannot take over. And what of my son!" she said, suddenly, "He will be killed if Khivar ever gets access to the palace. We must keep him safe, where is safest?" she said. She stopped pacing suddenly, stopping in front of Waltham, "Get a messenger, someone trustworthy to deliver him there. I must communicate with Zuni on Pylea. She will protect him."  
  
Waltham bowed and hurried out of the room. Queen Sharyan calmed herself in preparation of communication. She cupped her hands in front of her, closed her eyes and concentrated. A white ball of light appeared in front of her. She opened her eyes and dropped her hands. The ball levitated in front of her, spinning in its white light. She held her hands at its sides and pulled them apart until they were about two feet apart. She poked the middle of the enlarged circle and thought of her friend in Pylea.  
  
"Zuni, can you hear me?" she asked. Just then, the doors to her office flew open. A man in his late teens strolled in.  
  
"Sharyan?" The Queen jumped.  
  
"Kyden," she said, surprised, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"What, I can't visit my big sister?" he asked, as moved to embrace his worried sister.  
  
"A warring city is not the place for an eighteen year old boy," she said, still hugging him tightly.  
  
"Nor is it a place for a twenty five year old woman," he countered.  
  
"I am the Queen, I cannot leave," she said.  
  
"Well, I'm the Queen's protective little brother so I should get to stay, too."  
  
She smiled and ruffled his hair.  
  
"Hey!" he exclaimed. He smoothed back his straight, dark brown hair, which now hung over his gray eyes.  
  
"Where is that nephew of mine?" he finally asked.  
  
"He should be in his bedroom playing," she answered, "You should bring him here while you're there. I need to speak with him."  
  
"Certainly, oh great queen," he said, mocking Waltham. She laughed heartily. He left her office in search of the Prince.  
  
"Sharyan?" a feminine voice called. She turned back to the circle of communication she created.  
  
"Zuni, I need to ask a favor," she said to her best friend. They had been friends ever since they were five years old.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Khivar has declared war against me. We still don't have a clue who he is or what he looks like," she said, "he has already had someone try to kill my son and I. I want you to take care of him for me," she said, "Keep him at least until the end of the war. I don't want him harmed. I need him to be safe."  
  
"Of course I'll take him," Zuni reassured her, "I'll care for him as if he were my own. And you know how much he loves his aunt Zuni, we'll have a great time."  
  
"Oh, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. I will put him on a ship to Pylea early tomorrow morning. Is that okay?"  
  
"Yeah, it's fine," Zuni answered.  
  
"I have to go now," she said, "I have to go break the news to him, and spend these last few hours with him."  
  
"Okay," Zuni said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
  
Just then, Deimon and Kyden walked in. Prince Deimon ran to his mother, sensing that she was upset about something. He threw his arms around her and buried his head in her dress.  
  
"Deimon, honey," she said, softly. The young prince looked up at her tear stained face, "How would you like to go stay with your aunt Zuni?"  
  
He shook his head. "Mama, are you coming, too?"  
  
"No, baby," she said, "Your mama has to stay and help with the war. Aunt Zuni is going to protect you on Pylea until it is over."  
  
"No! I don't wanna go," he said.  
  
"You have to," she said, silent tears running down her cheeks, "Please? For mommy?"  
  
"Okay," he said softly.  
  
"Okay," she repeated, "let's go pack and then we can play whatever you want, okay?"  
  
"Okay," he said, a small smile on his face, he sniffled as tears coursed down his baby cheeks. The Queen took his hand and led him to his room. Neither remembering the eighteen-year-old that still stood in the corner, an evil grin on his face.  
  
  
  
1.6 


	8. Chapter Eight

1.1 TITLE: The Chosen  
  
CATEGORY: Buffy/Roswell Crossover  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys, I'm back with another crappy chapter. This chapter is kinda lame, so don't flame me, please?  
  
1.2 Okay, dudes. You people didn't review chapter 7. Am I to assume you didn't like it? Did it suck? Come on, you have to review or I'm gonna stop updating. Gimme reviews dammit!!!  
  
Whew! Okay, that's my rant for the day. Read and review. Enjoy the story.  
  
  
  
1.3 CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
"Have you found anything?"  
  
Wesley was standing over Alex's shoulder as he worked on the computer. They had decided to still hack into Wolfram and Hart's computer system to see if they could get any clues as to whom the protectors were, and to confirm that Khivar was the new arrival. Although, Alex just wanted a reason to live in front of the computer, but who's checking?  
  
"Everything's encoded, they've got a massive firewall, and all the info's in some weird language," he said in an exasperated sigh, "'course I didn't find anything. Whatever happened to the good old days when I only had to hack into FBI files?"  
  
"They died with Pierce," Isabel said, sitting next to him.  
  
"Yeah, well. What do we do now?"  
  
"Wanna go train?"  
  
"You mean exercise?" he groaned.  
  
"No, train," she corrected, "It's called every video game known to mankind with fighting in it. Spike's got a pretty good collection for a guy who's been dead for a hundred and something years."  
  
Alex agreed and they walked hand in hand to the TV room where the Playstation 2 was set up. Dawn and Spike were already in there playing a car racing game. Spike was totally leaving Dawn in the dust, keeping him in the spot of champion.  
  
"Oh well, it's taken," Alex said.  
  
"Guess we'll just have to go upstairs. Whatever will we do?"  
  
"I've got an idea," Alex said as they headed upstairs.  
  
"Is it just me, or are these aliens incredibly horny?" Dawn asked Spike.  
  
"They're incredibly horny," he said.  
  
"I thought so," she said as they returned to their game.  
  
  
  
It was now two weeks into the summer holiday, a month and a half since Tess left and a month since Maria became a slayer. There still had not been any sign of Khivar yet and the Scooby Gang, Pod Squad and Angel Investigations were starting to get antsy. They had been training for two weeks now for a battle that was taking its sweet time to start. They were beginning to wonder if they were correct in their assumptions that they had found the true identities of The Chosen, and that they had the right place. The Pod Squad was beginning to miss the FBI and the Skins. They all went patrolling for fun, which was difficult since the demons were lying low until the three Slayers left the city of Angels. Word of the triplet of demon hunters spread fast through the demon underground.  
  
Now, they were all gathered in the lobby of the hotel having a discussion. Apparently, Max and Zan's need to have meetings constantly was unavoidable and hadn't stopped just because they were in a different area code. The Pod Squad and the Dupes were lounging in Michael and Maria's living room. Faith sat on Rath's lap on the arm chair across from the couch where Maria sat on Michael's lap next to Max and Liz, who were as close as they could get without being on each other's laps. Isabel and Alex sat on a love seat and Kyle, Zan and Ava occupied the floor.  
  
"So, how 'bout you fill us in on the past Czechoslovakians," Maria said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause we have nothing better to talk about," she said.  
  
"And I wanna know the other half of my split personality," Michael added.  
  
"We've only heard, like, third and fourth hand stories of the royal four," she continued.  
  
"From skins mind you."  
  
"Uh, what do ya want to know?" asked Ava.  
  
"I don't know," Maria said, with a shrug, "Ages? Social life? Friends? Whatever."  
  
"Okay," Zan said, "I was da oldest of the Royal four, that's why I'm da man. Lonnie was a year younger, Ava was two years younger and Rath was five years younger."  
  
"Man, no wonder you guys have that damn big brother/big sister complex," Michael said. Max and Isabel frowned.  
  
"We do not have a complex," Isabel said.  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever."  
  
"Well, I don't really remember anything before I was found outside the palace," Rath said, "In fact, I don't even remember remembering who I was."  
  
"Yeah, I remember," Zan said, "Pops said you had amnesia or somethin'."  
  
"Well, that explains some things," Liz said.  
  
"Yeah," Michael and Maria said.  
  
"So, how'd you die?" Faith asked.  
  
"My ship to safety was blown up," Ava answered.  
  
"Hmm," Zan said, "It was the night of the third battle. I was in the front of one team and Rath was with the other. We were ambushed from the side because somebody told Khivar where the fleet would be," he said bitterly, "one of our own men killed me right there."  
  
"How old were you?" Liz wanted to know.  
  
"Um, 27, I think," he said, "Vilandra was 26, Ava was 25 and Rath was 22."  
  
"22?" Liz asked, "Wow, that's young to die. Rath, how did you die?"  
  
Rath scrunched up his brow in concentration.  
  
"I-I don't remember," he said finally, "It's like, it's there but it's blocked."  
  
"Maybe you were traumatized by it and got amnesia or something," Kyle suggested.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," Rath said, not believing it though.  
  
"So, did you use your powers in battle?" Max asked.  
  
"Uh, not that I recall," he said, "I really don't remember much of the war after Ava and Vilandra died."  
  
"What was our mother like?" Isabel asked.  
  
"She was beautiful, smart," Zan said.  
  
"And damn bossy," Rath finished for him.  
  
Zan nodded, "Yeah, ain't that the truth."  
  
'Well, we know where Izzy and Max get it from,' Michael thought.  
  
"She was the one who promised Lonnie to me," Rath said, disgusted, "By then I thought of her as a sister, 'cause, you know, I lived with her since I was two."  
  
'Damn, history repeats itself,' Maria thought.  
  
'Yeah.'  
  
"Zan got to choose, which was so unfair," he continued. Liz got a semi-hurt expression on her face when she heard that Max actually married Tess of his own free will in their past life. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had hoped that it was an arranged marriage . . .she'd convinced herself of it. Now, her delusion was shattered.  
  
Seeing the expression on Liz's face, Max suggested that they all go to bed. It was already two in the morning and they had training first thing. They said their goodnights and headed back to their rooms, leaving Michael and Maria alone.  
  
"What do you want to do, Spaceboy?" Maria asked seductively.  
  
  
  
The air was heavy with the stench of death, of war. He stood amongst the fallen and the weak, leading them towards victory. His family was gone. He was alone. Alone in the fight against Khivar, alone in the fall of the kingdom of Antar. The armies on both sides were exhausted and lessened from whence they first started. This would be the final battle. They would not last much longer, one of them had to lose.  
  
The planet was split in half, those for Khivar, and those for Zan, which recently became those for Rath. Zan's followers joined up with Rath's followers after their beloved King was killed during the last battle. It was by far the worst. The once green grass was now awash with the red stickiness of fresh blood, littered with the bodies of the fallen.  
  
There he stood, surrounded by his army of followers awaiting the arrival of their enemy, King Khivar of Carnath. Suddenly, an explosion was heard from behind. He turned quickly to find that a good number of his followers were dead or injured. They were surrounded.  
  
'He must have called for reinforcements,' he realized grimly.  
  
"Give up this battle, Rath!" a voice shouted, "WE will win this battle! Resistance is futile!"  
  
"Why don't you come out and fight like a man, Khivar!" he yelled back, in the general direction of the voice, "When will you show your face!"  
  
"After you have been captured and you approach your public execution!"  
  
Rath glanced at his remaining troops. They should be enough to take him out, shouldn't they? Khivar's troops didn't look that strong. He continued taunting the enemy as he gave a silent signal to his men. Thirty seconds after the signal was given, they raised their weapons and began shooting at the opposition. They did not take long to retaliate.  
  
All around him, people were dropping faster than he could count, on both sides. He was running out of bullets, he realized. They all were, for Khivar blew up their weapon's storage the week before.  
  
Half an hour, and a few dozen dead bodies later, they ran out of ammunition. Khivar was thrilled at the victory, though he would still not show his face. His second-in-command, Nikaid, stepped closer to a seething Rath, a cocky grin on his smug face.  
  
"Good show, Rath," he said, arrogantly, "I'll enjoy watching you die. Then Lord Khivar will make good use of your damn followers."  
  
Rath spit on him.  
  
"Now, now. That was not nice was it," he said, condescendingly, "I think killing you now will be just as fun as killing you later."  
  
"Shoot an unarmed man, Nikaid," he scoffed, "No honor, I should have known."  
  
Nikaid was livid. He pointed his gun at him.  
  
"I shall enjoy watching you die."  
  
Rath's hand shot up by instinct unleashing his pent up rage upon Nikaid and Khivar's army. A bright red light shot out from his palms, obliterating most of Khivar's army. A feral scream escaped his lips. He fell down, chest heaving as the last of Khivar's followers dropped to the ground. He looked around at the shocked and horrified faces of his people.  
  
"What are you?" a man he didn't recognize finally asked.  
  
"He is a sorcerer!" another man exclaimed.  
  
"No, I'm still…the same…man," he gasped, still trying to catch his breath, as the people backed away from him.  
  
"We should not have fought for you!" a woman screamed, "You are an unnatural fiend!"  
  
To say that Rath was shocked beyond comprehension was to put it lightly. He had this new development of power and the people thought he was a freak. He just saved them, the ungrateful wretches.  
  
"We will not be ruled by such a sorcerer!"  
  
"A witch!"  
  
"A devil!"  
  
"Perhaps Khivar would be a better ruler. We must ask his forgiveness."  
  
The next day, they held Rath captive in the dungeon of the palace. They did not trust him anymore and were deciding what to do with him. Rath, being too tired to escape the night before, was an easy captive. Now, he was fully energized and ready to rip someone's head off with his bare hands.  
  
They came down for him that night, and strapped him to a wooden pole, atop a pile of what he could only guess was firewood. They were going to burn him at the stake! What a ridiculously archaic notion! He struggled to get out of his restraints but to no avail.  
  
"You bastards!" he screamed at the crowd, "You will be damned forever for this! Khivar will see to that!"  
  
A man slapped him in the face. His head flew to the side.  
  
"How dare you speak such treason!"  
  
He snapped his fingers and two peasants with lit torches set the wood below his feet on fire. Rath stood tall, with his chin high as he was engulfed by flames. He would not scream aloud. He would not give them the satisfaction.  
  
"AHHHH!" he screamed. Rath shot up in a cold sweat. Chest heaving with every breath. Anger boiling up within him. A hand touched his shoulder and he flinched slightly.  
  
"Rath?" Faith asked.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open and 21 disheveled people stood in the doorway, looking expectantly at Rath. Rath looked at them, then raised his arm, blowing up a coffee table that stood in the corner of the room. He jumped out of bed, pushed past the audience and stalked out of the room, butt naked. The girls checked him out appreciatively before turning to look at Michael who was blushing profusely and staring at the ground. He hurried out of the room to find Rath and make him cover up his body. The others followed shortly after.  
  
They found him in the training room beating the stuffing out of a punching bag.  
  
"Rat bastards!" he yelled at the thing, punctuating each word with a punch, "Ungrateful loads of crap!"  
  
They watched in confusion as he pummeled the punching bag.  
  
"Rot in hell!" he yelled, before spin kicking it. It flew off the roof and landed across the room before bursting into angry flames. He dropped to his knees breathing heavily. A worried Faith dropped beside him, a protective arm around his back, whispering soothing words in his ear. The others stood in silence, half wondering when Faith got so caring, the other half wondering what Rath saw. Okay, well, maybe not half-and-half, more the Pod Squad and Dupes wanted to know what he saw and the others wondered about Faith.  
  
After about ten minutes, Rath finally started to calm down. Michael walked over to him and dropped his clothes on his head.  
  
"Here, put these on, you're embarrassing me," he said. Rath laughed.  
  
"Why deprive them of our fine bods?" he said, "Besides, if you saw what I saw, you wouldn't care either."  
  
He waved his hand over himself and his clothes and they appeared on him.  
  
"Cool," Dawn said.  
  
"What did you see?" Maria asked.  
  
"The last day of the war," he said, getting angry again.  
  
"What happened?" Michael and Maria asked.  
  
"Well, Zan, Ava and Vilandra were dead already. Both the armies were scrunting and small because of the other battles. I got Zan's followers to join up with my followers and we were about to go up against Khivar," he recalled, "Khivar surrounded us and started yelling about how he already won the war and that he'll capture me for public execution. So I gave the signal and we start shooting the bastards," he continued, "We ran out of ammo 'cause Khivar blew up our weapons store. He had Nikaid come out to get me, condescending little jerk. He was gonna kill me, so I used my powers on him and his damn army. I didn't even know I had 'em."  
  
"So, we won the war?" Michael asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So why are they still enslaved?"  
  
"I'm getting there! So, I look around at my so-called followers and they are like, petrified. Started calling me a witch," he said, anger dripping with every word, "They said they didn't want to be ruled by a witch so they captured me and burned me at the stake."  
  
They were all shocked and appalled by this new information. Michael was really pissed off. He turned and blew up a chair next to the fallen punching bag.  
  
"Hey hey!" Angel yelled, "Could you not blow up my hotel?"  
  
"Don't worry about it pops," Rath replied as he waved his hand in the general direction of the ashes, bringing them back to their original forms.  
  
"Huh, good luck, Zanther, Maxwell, that's yo' planet, that's yo' prob," Rath said, getting up, "If they're enslaved, it's their fault."  
  
"So, you're just gonna leave?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"Duh," he said annoyed, "Did I tell them I was a evil witch? NO. They thought Khivar was better than me, they can live with him. It's their own fault."  
  
"But our people," Max started.  
  
"Can suck my balls," he interrupted, "We won. They gave themselves up. Not my problem. I'm not even Antarian."  
  
"I agree with the little bugger," Spike said, "If they don't want him, why go?"  
  
"They can fend for themselves, screw 'em," he said.  
  
"So you're giving up on them just like that?" Liz asked, amazed. This guy was a Michael double, would he do the same thing?  
  
"Do you know what it's like to be burnt alive?" he growled, "It's a walk in the park with ice-cream and tobasco," he said, sarcastically, glaring at them, "I have no desire to go through it again."  
  
He turned around and stalked out of the room. Everyone looked at each other.  
  
"Are you gonna leave, too?" Max asked Michael. All eyes turned on him.  
  
"Not my planet, I don't have to care," he said, before turning and leaving.  
  
The group watched as two important elements of the upcoming battle walked out on them.  
  
"Well, this sucks," Xander said.  
  
  
  
Michael and Rath went out into the morning sun of LA with nothing to do. They were still upset by the recent developments, Rath more so than Michael. They both kept their heads down in a similar fashion as they walked down the crowded streets.  
  
"So, what do you think of 'home' now?" Rath finally asked.  
  
"Thank God I'm Deimon and not Rath," he replied, "I can still hide."  
  
"Never thought it would be like that, y'know?" he said, "I thought that we were accepted back there, and this whole 'outsider' thing was a product of being an alien, but I guess not."  
  
"Well, technically we were the alien there, too."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," he paused, taking in the scenery (cars and buildings, ooh pretty), "Do you think our mom is still alive?"  
  
"I dunno," Michael answered, "I doubt it, I mean, we've been here fifty four years. She would be, what, 99?"  
  
Rath shrugged, "Who knows, maybe time moves differently there."  
  
"Makes sense," Michael answered thoughtfully, "Why send somebody to save you when you know you'll have to wait, like sixty years. That makes no sense."  
  
"We'll have to ask Larek."  
  
"Ha, yeah right. Didn't he take Brody back?"  
  
Rath shrugged. They continued to walk in a companionable silence. They turned a corner and doubled back to the hotel.  
  
'Michael?'  
  
'Hey Maria,' he answered telepathically.  
  
'Where are you?'  
  
'We're almost to the hotel,' he thought, 'Just tell everybody not to mention the battle to Rath for a while.'  
  
'No problem,' she replied, 'So, how do you feel about it?'  
  
'I'm glad I didn't see it,' he replied, 'I think I rather be Deimon than Rath right now. At least I don't have to get visions of being burnt alive.'  
  
'Yeah. So, I'll see you at the hotel in like, what, five minutes?' Maria asked.  
  
Suddenly, someone grabbed them from behind as they passed an alleyway. He felt something stick him in the arm as he was dragged into a dark van at the end of the alley. His muscles felt like Jell-O, making it impossible to put up a fight. His head flopped to the right to see Rath knocked out next to him, being dragged by two huge men dressed in black.  
  
'Michael? Michael!' Maria screamed in his head.  
  
'Maria? Help me.' Was his last coherent thought before he passed out.  
  
  
  
"Oh my God!" she screamed.  
  
"Your hand can't be that good," Spike said. Spike, Maria, Kyle and Faith had been playing poker since Michael and Rath left. They didn't really have anything else to do. Giles and Wesley once again had their heads buried in a book and the others were just lounging around.  
  
"Michael's in trouble, we have to go. NOW!"  
  
"How do you know?" Zan asked.  
  
"The Connection," she said hurriedly, "We were talking and all of a sudden, he stopped. He's in trouble let's go."  
  
"Can't you try to contact him?" Isabel asked Maria. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Does that mean…?" Liz asked, dreading the answer.  
  
"God, I hope not," Maria said, crying.  
  
"What about Rath?" Faith asked, quietly.  
  
"He was with him," Maria answered, "Mi-Michael was trying to calm him down."  
  
"Who would take them, though?" asked Dawn. Everybody looked at each other.  
  
"Khivar."  
  
  
  
He felt cold concrete under him, tiny stones digging into his back. Air entered his lungs in ragged breaths. Water dripped somewhere, annoyingly. Drip. Drip. He opened his eyes to his dark prison. The gray concrete ground lay before him, interrupted about five feet away from him by thick metal bars. He pushed himself up from his position on the ground. His arms shook in protest from his feeble muscles. He turned his head slowly so that the pain in his head would remain as nothing more than a dull ache. It didn't work. He grimaced as he looked around. There, in the corner opposite him, sat his clone, Rath. He was staring angrily at the bars that kept them captive.  
  
"Rath?" he whispered, voice raspy. Rath turned.  
  
"We're trapped."  
  
"What about-"  
  
"My powers don't work," he interrupted. Michael nodded. He got up and walked to the bars. They were alone in the room. Whoever kidnapped them were pretty sure of themselves if they didn't even leave a guard. He sighed and went back to sit down against the wall. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.  
  
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us," a vaguely familiar voice interrupted the silence. Michael cracked open one eye. A fifteen-year-old boy stood before him, hands clasped behind his back, staring at him and Rath.  
  
"Nicholas," he growled.  
  
"You rang?" he said.  
  
"What the hell do you want?"  
  
"To get rid of the Royal Four," he said simply, "duh."  
  
"Why only take us?" Rath asked, angrily.  
  
"Well, we were gonna take a girl or two, but then, you were right there. More convenient," he said, disinterested.  
  
"I killed you once, I can do it again, Nikaid," Rath growled.  
  
Nicholas glared at him, "Silence freak!"  
  
"What, you scared of the truth?"  
  
"That was then," Nicholas said, angrily, "Besides, that formula I gave you will block your powers, anyway." He smirked. "It's simple really. This," he said, holding up a syringe, "contains an inhibitor that blocks the effect the sun has on your Antarian blood cells, thus taking away your powers."  
  
Just then, a brunette walked into the dungeon. She wore a black business suit and an evil smile. She moved to stand on the boy's left.  
  
"Who do we have here?"  
  
"General Rath and his duplicate, Michael."  
  
"Cute," she said, studying them.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Rath growled.  
  
"You don't need to know that," she said, coldly.  
  
"You seriously need to get laid, lady," Rath taunted. Lilah's eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"I'll take care of it," Nicholas said, pulling Lilah out of the room.  
  
Michael sighed and resumed his position on the wall.  
  
'Michael?'  
  
'Maria!' Michael exclaimed.  
  
'Michael, where are you?'  
  
'I don't know, locked up somewhere.'  
  
'Do you know who did this?'  
  
'Nicholas,' he said, angrily, 'and some other chick, I don't know who she is.'  
  
'Can you send me a picture?' she asked.  
  
'Yeah,' he replied. He closed his eyes and thought of the woman Rath was taunting less than five minutes ago. Then, he concentrated on sending it to Maria.  
  
'Got it,' she said, 'Did you see anything on your way in?'  
  
'No, they knocked me out. I'll ask Rath.'  
  
"Hey, Rath," he whispered, not sure if the room was bugged, "Did you see anything on the way in here?"  
  
"Nothin'."  
  
'Nothing,' he thought back to Maria.  
  
She sighed. 'We're coming.'  
  
'Okay.'  
  
'I love you.'  
  
'Ditto.'  
  
'Deluca over and out,' she joked. He chuckled.  
  
"What's so funny?" Rath asked, annoyed.  
  
"They're coming," he whispered.  
  
"Better had," he grumbled.  
  
  
  
"Anything?" asked Wesley.  
  
"Yeah," Maria said, coming out of her trance, "They're being held by Nicholas and some chick in a business suit."  
  
"What did she look like?" Angel asked.  
  
"Brunette, long hair, cold demeanor," she said.  
  
"Lilah," Cordelia, Gunn, Angel and Wesley said at the same time.  
  
"Okay," she said, "Who's that?"  
  
"She's a lawyer with Wolfram and Hart," Wesley answered.  
  
"Okay, why would they want two aliens?" Max asked.  
  
"Wolfram and Hart are an evil law firm," Angel answered, "They represent Demons, vampires, basically anything evil."  
  
"If she's working with Nicholas, they probably have Khivar, too," Isabel said.  
  
"Guess we're breaking in there again," Gunn said, grabbing the closest crossbow and loading up.  
  
"How many times have you broken in there?" Max asked.  
  
"About three, right?" Cordelia asked. Angel shrugged.  
  
"How are your breaking and entering skills?" he asked the Roswell gang.  
  
"Pretty good, though the best is locked up right now," Isabel said.  
  
"What about you?" Wesley asked the Dupes.  
  
"We live in the sewers in New York," Ava said, flatly.  
  
"Okay, point taken," Cordelia said, "So, what's the plan?"  
  
Angel went into the office and pulled out a map of Wolfram and Hart he got from Lindsey earlier that year. He opened it out on the front desk.  
  
"Okay, we have to assume that they're actually in that building," he said, "that would mean that they're somewhere in the basement."  
  
"That area's huge, how do we know where to look?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Well, we know here," he said, pointing to a room at one end of the map, "is where they keep the archives. And here," he pointed to the other end, "is where they keep the artifacts."  
  
"That leaves, like five more rooms," Kyle said, "not to mention a whole maze to walk through."  
  
"Better than nothing. That gives us two less," he said, patiently.  
  
"Can't you get a vision or something?" Liz asked Cordelia.  
  
"No, doesn't work that way," she said, "I only get what they send me and the migraine that comes with it."  
  
"Did they see anything else?" Wesley questioned again.  
  
"No, they were both unconscious."  
  
"Can you go back and ask him if there are any distinctive features in the room he could identify?"  
  
"I guess," she said.  
  
'Michael?'  
  
'Yeah, you coming?'  
  
'Yeah. You're somewhere in Wolfram and Hart.'  
  
'Oh joy.'  
  
'Yeah. Anyway, Wesley wants to know if there are any distinctive features about the room.'  
  
'Besides that incessant dripping that's annoying the hell out of me? No.'  
  
'Can you see outside at all?'  
  
'Nope.'  
  
"YO, Dupe! Snap out of it! They're coming back!" Rath hissed.  
  
Michael blinked and focused on the three figures walking up to their cell.  
  
"Hey, Rath," Lonnie said, coldly, "Having fun?"  
  
"Until you brought your ugly butt back," he growled, a glare fixated on her.  
  
"Nuh-uh, don't taunt the warden now," Tess said.  
  
"Hi psycho whore, long time no see," Michael mocked, "How's life?"  
  
"Royal," she said.  
  
"Yeah I bet. So royal you had to kidnap friends," Rath sneered.  
  
"You shouldn't speak to the queen like that," the figure behind them said.  
  
"Oh? And who the hell are you?"  
  
He stepped forward into the light. An evil smirk was plastered on his face. Michael squinted at him.  
  
"Do I know you?"  
  
"Doubt it."  
  
"What do you want from us?"  
  
"Revenge dear brother," Tess said.  
  
"I'm not your brother," Michael growled.  
  
"So you're not," she said, shrugging, "We don't really need revenge either."  
  
"Kidnapping is just fun," Lonnie filled in.  
  
"Doesn't take much to keep you entertained," Michael scoffed.  
  
They glared at them and walked off.  
  
"Well, that was pointless," Rath muttered.  
  
'Michael, are you okay?'  
  
'Yeah, just got a visit from our happy captors. There are more of them now. Tess, Lonnie and some guy. I swear I've seen him somewhere before.'  
  
'Send me a picture.'  
  
Michael concentrated on sending the picture to Maria.  
  
'Know who it is?'  
  
'He looks familiar, but I can't place him. Ask Rath.'  
  
"Hey, Rath. You know who that guy is?"  
  
"No clue."  
  
'Big help,' Maria grumbled.  
  
'So what's the plan?'  
  
'Is there a pipe line above your heads?'  
  
Michael looked up. 'Yeah.'  
  
'Wes says there should be a number on it somewhere, it should tell us where you are.'  
  
'Ask Wes if he thinks I'm superman,' Michael thought sarcastically.  
  
'Okay, I guess it's plan B.'  
  
'Which is…?'  
  
'Look around 'til we find you.'  
  
'Okay.'  
  
'Why don't you guys just blast your ways out of there anyway?'  
  
'Nicholas has some kind of serum that blocks the effect the sun has on our Antarian cells.'  
  
'Great.'  
  
'I know.' Michael sighed. 'So, when are you coming?'  
  
'In about an hour. Be ready.'  
  
'Sir, yes sir.'  
  
'Funny, Spaceboy.' 


	9. Chapter Nine

1.1 DISCLAIMER: They ain't mine. I'm not delusional enough to think that. If they were, would they be on UPN where I can't see 'em? 'Course not.  
  
Author's Note: Reviews wow! *sigh* those felt good. Keep it comin'. Okay, I'm running out of things to say in these Author's note/disclaimer thingies. I'm gonna shut up now.  
  
1.2  
  
1.3  
  
1.4  
  
1.5 CHAPTER NINE  
  
"Is it time yet?" Maria asked, impatiently. She was pacing back and forth wringing her hands and shaking her head. Faith seemed to be in a similar state.  
  
"No, not yet," Wesley said for what seemed like the fiftieth time in the past ten minutes, "Does everyone know what they have to do?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Faith said, "We've discussed this lots of times."  
  
"I don't see why we can't go now," Maria insisted.  
  
"You told them an hour, they won't expect it," Wesley said.  
  
"Well, I can tell them now," she stated, "It won't matter."  
  
"Well, she just got Michael's impatience," Max mumbled.  
  
"I heard that, Maxwell," she said, "You know, you wouldn't be so calm if it was Liz."  
  
"Maria, do you want to sniff some cedar oil?"  
  
"NO, I don't want to sniff some cedar oil," she mocked, "I want to do something, damn it! Can we stop with the sit and wait crap, fearless leader?"  
  
"Okay, let's go," Isabel said, getting tired of the fighting, "It won't hurt."  
  
They all agreed. Maria, Faith, Isabel, Alex, Gunn, Buffy and Max left the hotel to execute their plan. Spike and Angel had to sit it out because of Wolfram and Hart's vampire sensors. Maria threw open the door, literally ripping it off its hinges. It landed behind her.  
  
"Ooops."  
  
"Uh, we'll fix that when we get back," Isabel said as they walked out the door. Angel sighed.  
  
"I'm not gonna have a hotel when this is over am I?"  
  
"At least they clean up after themselves," Giles said.  
  
  
  
"Everyone have everything?" Max asked.  
  
"Yes, mom," Maria said sarcastically.  
  
"Let's go," Faith said, jumping out of the car.  
  
Faith, Maria, Isabel and Gunn got out of the car and headed for an alley across from the building. Gunn opened a manhole cover and jumped in. Faith jumped in next. Isabel was more than a little reluctant. She had her patented 'ew' face on. Maria climbed down after Isabel, covering the hole behind her.  
  
They walked silently down the sewer, armed with crossbows, stakes and axes. The sewer smell only bothering Maria and Isabel.  
  
"Maybe you should try contacting them," Isabel told Maria quietly. She nodded and went into her trance.  
  
'Spaceboy?'  
  
'I know, I can feel you. Rath feels Faith, too.'  
  
'Is it a good feeling?'  
  
'You know it, baby,' he thought back to her, 'Spaceboy, over and out.'  
  
'That's my line.'  
  
'Yeah, yeah, I know,' he said, 'too lazy to make up my own.'  
  
"Okay, they know we're here," she said to them.  
  
"Are they okay?"  
  
"Yeah," she said.  
  
"Okay, here we are," Gunn announced as they came up to a rusted gate. Isabel used her powers to unscrew the grate and Maria ripped it open. They were greeted by five big demons of the ugly nature. Gunn shot one in the forehead with the crossbow and went after another one after it keeled over. Maria kicked one in the stomach and her foot came out on the other side.  
  
"Ew, now I have demon guts on my shoe," she complained.  
  
"I'll fix it later," Isabel said, while tripping another demon.  
  
Faith was pummeling her demon easily. She snapped his neck as he went down.  
  
"That was lame," she commented as they made their way down a long, dark hall. As if on cue, another door opened to reveal ten snarling demons. They surrounded them, baring their yellow teeth. Maria looked around.  
  
"Okay, this is getting annoying," she said. She promptly swung her ax around, beheading three of the demons in one blow, and then she ripped the head off another that was coming after her. Isabel punched and kicked one of the bigger demons, leaving him in pain before she chopped off his head with her sword. Faith was having little trouble with the two smaller demons she was fighting. She stabbed one with her sword while elbowing the other one in the nose. Then, she spun on her heel and broke his neck. Gunn had a little more difficulty, but still held his own. Isabel waved her hand over herself, cleaning off the green demon blood.  
  
"That, was cool," Gunn said, finally.  
  
"It's nothing," Isabel said as she cleaned off the other three. They walked until they reached a junction.  
  
"Which way?" Gunn asked.  
  
"This way," Maria said, pointing to the right. They walked down that corridor, looking out for doors that might lead to more demons. Maria and Faith lead them down the maze that was Wolfram and Hart's basement until they reached a door at the end of the tunnel. Isabel put her hand on the lock on the door and concentrated. Sweat began to pour down her forehead before she opened her eyes. She glared at the offending door and then turned back to Maria.  
  
"It won't unlock." She nodded.  
  
"Nicholas must have brought some locks from home or something to go with the antipower serum."  
  
"What do we do now?" Gunn asked, examining the metal door.  
  
"We'll knock it down," she stated simply.  
  
"Uh, sure. How are we gonna do that? That's steel."  
  
"We have two slayers, a Czech and a man," she said, "I think we can pull it off."  
  
"Okay," Faith said, "Definitely."  
  
"Okay, on the count of three everybody kick, okay," she said. They nodded. "One, two, three!"  
  
They all kicked at the door. There was a loud bang as their feet came into contact with the cold steel. They were surprised when it fell but didn't make a sound. It lowered to the ground quietly.  
  
"Man, y'all are noisy criminals," Rath said, smirking.  
  
"Shut up," Faith said as she walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss through the bars of the cell. Isabel waved her hand over the lock but again, it didn't budge. She growled in frustration.  
  
"It won't open!"  
  
"Stand back, I'm gonna try to blast it open," Michael said.  
  
"I thought you had no powers," Gunn said.  
  
"No, I said they blocked the effect the sun has on my Antarian cells," he said, smirking, "but they can't stop the DNA."  
  
"It doesn't matter anyway," Isabel said, "Our powers don't work on this metal. I think it's uranium. Remember what Nasedo said? We can't manipulate this."  
  
Maria walked up to the bars and grasped two of them. She grunted in exertion as she tried to bend the bars. They groaned in protest, but started to give way. Michael grabbed the sides of her face and loaned her some of his energy, as he could see she was starting to tire. Soon, there was a gap wide enough for Rath and Michael to fit through. They squeezed through and went to their respective girlfriends.  
  
"We better get out of here, guys," Gunn warned. They nodded and bolted out of the room.  
  
Around the first corner of the corridor were about fifteen demons of a variety of shapes and sizes. They all looked at each other, then the demons before them. Michael raised his hand and blasted the first line of demons. They exploded into yellow demon goo. This left them with about ten demons.  
  
"Ew, Michael," Isabel complained. He shrugged.  
  
A particularly huge demon came after Michael. He ducked a punch and hit him in the gut. He then spun around, tripping it, taking out two others at the same time.  
  
"Ax!" he yelled to Gunn. Gunn tossed him another ax before pulling out a sword and beheading a demon. Michael spun around and stabbed his big demon where he assumed the heart was, taking out the other one that was trapped beneath him.  
  
Maria was punching and kicking two demons while mutilating another with her sword. A big demon came at Isabel from behind while she was fighting another slime demon. Just as he was about to pounce on her, he exploded, sending slime everywhere.  
  
"Ew," Isabel complained, after the last demon was killed, "Why can't they turn to air or something, no, they have to come with slime."  
  
They ran through the corridors, hoping to get out before they sent more slime demons after them. Thirty was quite enough. They had to run out sometime, didn't they? No such luck around the fourth turn was a whole band of vampires. About thirty of them blocked the hallway.  
  
"Aw man," Maria complained, "Haven't we had enough exercise for the day?"  
  
"Izzy, help me," Michael said, holding out his hand for her. He then turned to Rath. Rath, understanding where he was coming from, put his hand on his shoulder. Michael held up his hand and released the combined energy of the three of them on the vampires. Within seconds the vampires were all dust and they were running down the hall again. They ran down the sewers and climbed up to the street. Max, Alex and Buffy were waiting in the van at the corner of the street. They jumped in. Max stepped on the gas and they pelted down the street, well, as fast as they could pelt in a minivan.  
  
"That, was cool," Gunn said.  
  
"Total rush," Faith added.  
  
"Incredibly gross," Isabel complained as she cleaned herself off with her power.  
  
"Man, Cordy would kill for that," Gunn said, watching as Isabel worked her magic on Faith. Isabel shrugged.  
  
  
  
"You let them get away!" he screamed, angrily. He blew up a desk.  
  
"We're sorry, sir," Lilah said nervously as she watched the figure pacing in front of them.  
  
"What did you do to prevent this?"  
  
"We set up thirty demons and thirty vampires, we were sure it would hold them."  
  
"Well, it didn't," he sneered, "Now get out of here before I really do some damage on you."  
  
"Yes, your majesty," she said, with a bow, before scurrying out of the office.  
  
"And you!" he said, turning to Nicholas, "Nikaid, you have failed me too many times." He raised his hand. A red glow appeared and Nicholas fell to the floor holding his head and screaming. After five minutes of torturing Nicholas, Khivar dropped his hand. Nicholas collapsed chest heaving and head bent. His face was still contorted with pain.  
  
"Get out of here, I don't want to see your face around here anymore."  
  
Nicholas nodded and ran out of the room. Khivar laughed. Power was good. 


	10. Chapter Ten

1.1 DISCLAIMER: Roswell ain't mine, Angel ain't mine, Buffy ain't mine…  
  
CATEGORY: Buffy/Roswell crossover  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guyz! I'm back with another crappy chapter. Forgive me if it sucks, but I have bad writer's block. Sorry for the wait! Anyway…read, review, have a merry ol' time. Drink some beer, it'll make the part look better…  
  
1.2  
  
1.3 CHAPTER TEN  
  
They ran into the lobby, cheering and congratulating themselves on a victory well won. Rath and Faith, and Michael and Maria were attached to each other by the lips.  
  
"You got out!" Cordelia exclaimed, "How come you're so clean?"  
  
"Isabel," Gunn said.  
  
"I gotta get those powers," Cordelia muttered.  
  
"So, you didn't have any difficulty?" Giles asked.  
  
"Of course we did," Gunn answered, "It's Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"They sent us, like, thirty vampires and thirty demons to fight," said Maria, after she came up for air and detached herself for Michael's lips. She went straight back to kissing.  
  
"And you're still alive to tell the tale?" Xander asked in disbelief, "You're not even hurt!"  
  
"It was nothing," Isabel said nonchalantly, "They were just…too slimy," she said shuddering, "Michael, next time explode away from me."  
  
"Whatever," he mumbled around Maria's lips.  
  
"God! Can you stop sucking face for just a minute!" Buffy cried, disgusted by the display.  
  
"No need to be jealous, B," Rath said with a smirk.  
  
"Ugh, whatever. I'm going upstairs. You aliens are too horny and too traumatizing."  
  
"See ya," answered Michael, Maria, Rath and Faith, together. She waved her hand in acknowledgment. The others also went to different places in the hotel. Spike, Dawn and Kyle headed over to the Playstation 2 they set up in the game room, or what they turned into the game room. Max and Liz went out in the garden to stargaze, and eye-gaze, as they were known for. Zan and Ava were on the other side of the garden, making out. Cordelia, Isabel, Anya, Willow, Tara and Buffy headed up to the bedrooms, specifically the one that held the antisocial misfit otherwise known as Fred, to introduce her to the world of fashion. Michael and Maria ducked behind the counter to continue their make out session, while Rath lay on top of Faith on the couch.  
  
Suddenly, the front door burst open. The two couples were too engrossed in what they were doing to notice the two figures walk in.  
  
"Oh, Jim! I can't wait to see their faces when…" she trailed off when she noticed the two bodies on the couch, the top body was one she recognized very well.  
  
"Michael Guerin! Get the hell off my daughter!" she screeched, launching into attack of the newspapers. She somehow conveniently had one handy whenever she caught Michael.  
  
Rath jumped up from the couch, quick to get away from Amy Deluca. Faith sat up surprised by the sudden loss of Rath lovin'. Amy looked from Faith to Rath and back again. Michael and Maria were still oblivious behind the counter.  
  
"You're cheating on my daughter?!" she screamed, "How dare you hurt my baby like that!" She continued beating him over the head with the newspaper, "You dirty, horrible delinquent!"  
  
"Hey, what's your problem, lady?" Rath cried, trying to duck the blows. He finally came to a dead end at the counter, "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Michael Guerin, you have a lot of nerve!" she shouted over the slapping noises the paper made.  
  
"Amy! Amy," Jim Valenti finally said, coming out of his stupor, "Calm down."  
  
"Calm down? I just caught this two-timing…dog cheating on my daughter and you tell me to calm down?" she screamed, hitting Jim once in the head. Michael and Maria heard that scream and jumped out from behind the counter. Amy had turned her head so she didn't see them pop up.  
  
"Ms. Deluca?" Michael asked, shocked.  
  
"What, you rat?" she yelled, turning around, "you have a lot of ex…"  
  
She trailed off when she noticed there were two Michaels standing in front of her.  
  
"Oh God, there's two of them," she said, before promptly fainting. Jim caught her before she hit the floor.  
  
"Well, that went well," Maria mumbled as she watched Valenti carry her mother over to the couch. They finally noticed the audience behind them. The others had come to see what the commotion was. Zan and Ava had amused smiles on their faces.  
  
"Wow, Rath. You got beat up by a chick," Zan said, laughing. Rath glared at him.  
  
"Man, she hits hard," he complained, rubbing his head.  
  
"Man, I know how you feel," Michael said, rubbing his own head at the memory. Delucas and newspapers were a deadly combination.  
  
"Will somebody please explain what's going on here?" Jim said from his position next to Amy. Maria came to kneel next to him at the couch.  
  
"Remember the dupes from last year?" Max asked. At Valenti's nod, he continued, "Meet Rath, Zan and Ava. Oh, and Alex is alive."  
  
"Hey sheriff," Alex said with a small wave. Amy, who had just woken up, screamed.  
  
"Oh God! I'm seeing ghosts," she said, clinging to Valenti, "I must be going crazy. First two Michaels and now Alex is alive…"  
  
"Mom, you're not crazy," Maria reassured her, while rubbing her back. Amy pushed Valenti away and sat up, facing the whole room. There were at least ten new faces staring back at her, not to mention three familiar, but different faces.  
  
"Mom, this is Michael's twin brother, Rath. And those are Max and Tess' twins, Zan and Ava. They're from New York."  
  
"And Alex?"  
  
"Well…"  
  
"It's a long story," Alex said quickly.  
  
"But…you died."  
  
"Uh…"  
  
"So, Mom," Maria interrupted, nervously, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh! Me and Jim got married yesterday, in Vegas," she said excitedly, showing off her ring. Alex forgotten.  
  
"You what?!" Kyle screeched.  
  
"And you didn't even invite us?" Maria asked, hurt.  
  
"Well, we were gonna wait, honey but…"  
  
"It doesn't matter," Maria interrupted, "This is so great!"  
  
"I'm so glad you're not mad, honey!" Amy cried, hugging her daughter, jumping and squealing.  
  
"Son?" Valenti asked, gingerly approaching Kyle.  
  
"No, it's okay…it's great, dad," Kyle said, "I'm happy for you."  
  
The others stood in the background, not sure what to do.  
  
"So, Maria," Amy said, finally letting her go, "who're your friends?"  
  
"Oh, this is Buffy, Dawn, Xander, Willow, Anya, Tara, Spike, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, Giles, Faith, Rath, Zan and Ava," Maria listed off in one breath, pointing to each in turn, "Guys, this is my mom and Kyle's dad."  
  
"Hi," they chorused.  
  
"Hey guys," Amy said, then sheepishly added, "Sorry…Rath, for beating you with a newspaper."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he replied.  
  
'Hey, I never got an apology,' Michael complained in Maria's head.  
  
'Be glad she didn't catch us behind the counter,' she replied.  
  
The crowd began to disperse. The group began to pair off and head to their different rooms.  
  
"Alex Whitman, where the hell have you been?" Amy asked, not forgetting about the little zombie. She rushed over and gathered him in her arms.  
  
"Uh…Ms. Deluca…air?" he choked. She let him go immediately.  
  
"Well, what happened? Your parents are so depressed. Half of Roswell was crying for a week."  
  
"Uh…"  
  
"He came to New York to…run an errand for Brody at the UFO Center, but somebody knocked him out and stole his car," Rath answered smoothly, "I found him and took him home with me. He didn't remember much about himself, so I let him stay with me, Zan and Ava until he got his memory back."  
  
"Yeah," Alex put in.  
  
"So, last month I went to New York, with Max and Izzy, to visit Rath and there he was," Michael continued, "I had just about the same reaction as you did, Ms. Deluca," he added, "It would figure the only person he remembered was Isabel."  
  
"So, we all came back here so he could see Maria and Liz," Rath said.  
  
"We were all he needed to get his full memory back," Maria finished the story. They stared at Amy intently, to see if she bought it. She slowly began nodding her head. She bought it.  
  
"Well, it's good to have you back, Alex," she said, finally, hugging him again. She then went over to Rath and kissed him on the cheek, "you sweet boy." Rath blushed and ducked his head, unaccustomed to maternal figures. "It must be in the genes."  
  
Amy Deluca-Valenti went over to her new husband and began to pull him out the door.  
  
"We'll see you soon," she called over her shoulder, "We're staying at the Hilton if you need us."  
  
Valenti turned and mouthed 'Details later' to the Pod Squad before walking out with his wife. There was a collective sigh when they left.  
  
"Good story," Alex finally said, patting Michael and Rath on the back.  
  
"It's a gift," they said in unison, with a shrug.  
  
  
  
They all sat around discussing what happened the day before. Michael had a sketch pad in front of him. He drew as the others talked around him. The person was taking shape before him on the page.  
  
"Did you see Khivar while you were in there?" Wesley asked, "Or any of the protectors?"  
  
"We wouldn't know if we saw Khivar," Rath said, sounding mildly annoyed. Michael didn't even bother to look up from his drawing.  
  
"Well, this doesn't help at all," Wesley grumbled.  
  
"There was this new guy with Tess and Lonnie, though," Rath said, "I don't know who he is."  
  
"What did he look like?" Max asked.  
  
"Like this," Michael said, holding up his now finished sketch of the man. He waved his hand over it to make it color. "He looks familiar, but I can't place him," he added, "What about you?"  
  
They all studied the picture. The man had long, brown hair that reached his shoulders. His gray eyes were piercing and cold. His jaw was hard set. He looked to be in his late forties, with a strong physique.  
  
"I don't recognize him," Max said, after staring at it.  
  
"Me either," said Zan. Ava shook her head. The Scooby Gang and Angel's employees also denied ever seeing the man in the picture.  
  
"What about you, Izzy?" Michael asked.  
  
"Sort of, but its kind of vague," she said, "I don't know who it is."  
  
"Well, he's either Khivar, a protector or a Wolfram and Hart associate," Angel deduced.  
  
"Yeah, big help, Peaches," said Spike.  
  
"Isn't he a little too young to be Khivar?" Kyle asked, "I mean, they've been down here for over fifty years."  
  
"Yeah, me and Michael thought of that," Rath said, "We think that time probably moves slower there."  
  
"It doesn't make sense to have saviors you won't live to see," Michael added, "if we were to go back to fight after sixty years, all the people who knew about us would be dead. It would be extremely pointless."  
  
"Where's Larek when you need him?" Alex mused, "Maybe they should have invented some kind of intergalactic cell phone when they sent you down."  
  
"Yeah," Michael said, nodding. Suddenly, he got an idea, "Yeah! Alex, you're a genius. Maria, come here."  
  
"What are you talking about, I don't think we have long distance that far out," Cordelia said, confused.  
  
"I had a dream the other day," he said, excitedly, "My mother was communicating with someone on Pylea."  
  
"And?" Isabel asked, not seeing the point.  
  
"And, I figured out what that thing with the ball thing does," he said, grabbing Maria's hands, "Okay, we have to do that thing I showed you."  
  
"Okay, let's do it."  
  
"Are you sure you can do it?" Max asked, "What if you get the wrong person?"  
  
"Well, we'll see when it happens," Maria said.  
  
They closed their eyes and raised their joint hands in the air. The familiar blue ball appeared between them. They opened their eyes and stepped back. The ball spun on its axis between them. Michael tried to reproduce the actions he saw his mother do in the dream. He put his hands on the sides and stretched it until it created a circle two feet in diameter. He poked the center and thought of Larek.  
  
"Who calls me now?" a voice said from within the circle. The others gasped as an image took form in the center of the circle. A man that looked much like Brody stared at them.  
  
"Larek?" Max asked.  
  
"Max?" he asked, shocked, "How are you contacting me?"  
  
"I figured out the communications circle thing," Michael said.  
  
"I realize that," Larek said, "but how? No one has ever accomplished communication from Earth to Antar without possession."  
  
Michael shrugged.  
  
"What did you call me for?"  
  
"Okay," Rath said, "A, how much time has passed on Antar since we left?"  
  
"Ten years and nine months," Larek answered, "One day on Antar, Carnath, Pylea and all the other planets in the system is five days on Earth."  
  
"Okay, do you know what Khivar looks like?"  
  
"Yes," he said. Michael sighed. Finally, somebody who knows something.  
  
"I thought you were going to detain Tess," Isabel said after a while.  
  
"By the time I got back, she was gone," he explained, "I have a team searching for her."  
  
"Don't bother, she's on Earth," Max said.  
  
"Oh," said Larek.  
  
"Do you know who this guy is?" Michael asked, suddenly, holding up his picture. Larek studied it.  
  
"Yes. It is Khivar."  
  
"Finally, something useful!"  
  
"Look, we must end the link," Larek said, "I cannot hold it much longer, it takes too much energy."  
  
"I feel fine," Michael said.  
  
"You are probably stronger than I," Larek said, "Though, it should be harder on you since you are the one that initiated contact. I must let go now."  
  
"Okay," Michael said, "How do you turn it off?"  
  
"Return the circle to a ball state and then allow it to reenter your body," Larek answered.  
  
"Okay," Michael said, "Bye."  
  
Michael raised his hands to the sides of the circle and brought his palms together, forming the blue ball that it was previously. Michael and Maria then joined hands and the ball raised above their heads. The ball lowered until it reentered their bodies. They glowed like before and then went back to normal. They stepped away from each other.  
  
"How do you feel?" Max asked.  
  
"Fine," they answered in unison.  
  
"How does it work?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Not the slightest clue," they answered.  
  
"How long are you gonna be doing that?" Dawn asked. They shrugged.  
  
"Michael, how come you didn't tell us about this other dream?" Max asked. Michael shrugged.  
  
"Didn't seem important."  
  
"Well, what happened in it?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Why do you want to know?"  
  
"I, uh, it's just that we always wanted to find a family out there, and you get to see bits and pieces of that life. I want to know about your life back then."  
  
"It's okay, Izzy. I understand," they said.  
  
"So, what happened?" Rath asked.  
  
"Um, not much happened," Michael started, alone this time, "I found out my mother's name was Sharyan," he said, sort of wistfully, remembering the scene, "She was freaking out, as what seems to be usual. She wanted to get me off the planet before the war got too bad, so she called her friend on Pylea, Zuni. While she was calling, my uncle…Kyden…came…That's it!"  
  
"What are you talking about, what's it?" Max asked.  
  
"The man, it's Kyden. That bastard!" Michael raged.  
  
"Okay, what?" Isabel asked, "Who's Kyden?"  
  
"Her brother," he said, "My uncle. Khivar. He betrayed his own sister! What a backside!"  
  
"This is better than Passions," Spike whispered to Dawn. She nodded, not taking her eyes off the scene in front of her.  
  
"Wait, are you sure?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Michael said, "Here, look, I'll draw him."  
  
Michael thought of Kyden and waved his hand over a blank sketch pad page. He handed it to Isabel. She studied the boy with gray eyes and dark brown hair. She had to admit he was pretty cute. She compared it with the other picture Michael drew. It was the same person! Sure, the first one was a little older than the second was, but still, it was the same person. The others gathered around her to inspect the pictures. This was a shocking new piece to the puzzle.  
  
"How old is he in this picture?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Eighteen," Michael answered. He had his head buried in his hands. Isabel was sorry to see him like that, but she was too stunned to comfort. She was grateful that Maria was there for him.  
  
"How old was your mom?"  
  
"Twenty five."  
  
The room was silent for a while, until Max spoke up.  
  
"Did you see anyone else in your visions?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, they seem to be important," he explained, "Every time you have one, it makes something clearer. I think you have them for a reason."  
  
Michael nodded in understanding.  
  
"So, what significance was that painful dream I got last night?" Rath asked.  
  
"I really don't know," Max answered, "Was this guy in it?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"It just goes to show that life sucks and then you die," Michael said, cynically.  
  
"Michael, don't talk like that," Isabel said.  
  
"Why? It's true," he said, "You live two lives, you get betrayed like, what, about seven or eight times in your forty years of existence? Excuse me if I don't make balloon animals and sing 'Happy happy joy joy'."  
  
He turned and walked away, leaving the others staring at his retreating form.  
  
"Yep, way better than Passions," Dawn commented.  
  
  
  
The night was quiet, or as quiet as it could possibly get in Los Angeles anyway. Somewhere, within a small yellow apartment, the sound of giggling could be heard. Cordelia had invited all the girls in their diverse group over to her apartment for a girls' night. She hadn't had one since she was in Sunnydale, because let's face it; Angel, Wesley and Gunn were not good girlfriend material.  
  
Ice-cream containers littered the once spotless floor. Dennis was conveniently absent, not that you could see him anyway. Cordelia, Willow, Buffy, Dawn, Tara, Anya, Liz, Maria, Isabel and Ava lay around gossiping and bad talking the guys.  
  
"So, Faith, your turn," Maria said from the floor, "What's the deal with Rath?"  
  
"What's the deal with Michael?" she countered, "He's a guy, 'nuff said."  
  
"Come on," she urged, "He's a Czech. There's got to be something weird and/or juicy to tell."  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Fine," Cordelia said, "Then, how'd you meet? Tell us something."  
  
"Okay, fine," she acquiesced, "It was about five years ago, just before I became a Slayer…"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Her feet pounded on the cold damp streets of New York. It was unusually quiet out at 4:00am as she sped down the dark alley. Her heart pounded in her ears as she plowed through the asphalt and garbage. She spared a glance back at her attackers. Three men with screwed up faces and yellow eyes were gaining on her with ease. They didn't even seem to be trying. She turned back around just in time to see the garbage can lying in the street before she fell face first into the cold concrete. She scrambled up to be face to face with a vampire.  
  
"You going somewhere, sweetie?" he sneered, grabbing her arm. She struggled against his iron grip in a futile attempt to pull away.  
  
"Struggle baby," another one behind her whispered in her ear menacingly, "It's more fun that way."  
  
She immediately stilled, casting frightened glances between the three…things that had attacked her and her friends, Natalie and Cole, well, the people she just met outside the club anyway. They had all tried to get into the Club with really fake looking fake IDs. They all got kicked out and decided to hang together at Cole's place instead. Who needs clubs? They had come up behind them quickly, leaving no room to scream, to run. Two of them held Cole back as the other sank his teeth into Natalie's neck. The other two did the same to Cole. Faith just stood there like an imbecile staring at them. It was when Natalie finally collapsed that her legs decided to obey her brain and start running. Now, it was too late. She was going to die right here in this alley. Damn legs.  
  
"Get the hell away from me!" she said in the toughest voice she could muster. The vampires had the nerve to laugh.  
  
"Sure we will, baby," he said, "right after dinner."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So what happened next?" Isabel asked, digging into her chunky monkey and tobasco sundae with fudge and jalepenos.  
  
"I'm getting there," Faith said to the impatient alien, "Now I lost my spot. Where was I? Oh yeah, so everything was so completely not five by five…"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A manhole cover opened and a brown, spiky head popped out of the hole. The boy climbed swiftly out of the sewer, as if he'd had a lot of practice. He looked around and spotted them in the corner.  
  
"Hey! What's goin' down out here?" he shouted. Two of the vampires turned away from their prey, spotting the boy. He cringed at the faces and prepared to run.  
  
"Well, well. What have we here?" one of them said, licking his bloody chops.  
  
"Looks like seconds."  
  
In a flash, they were at the boy's side, restraining his arms.  
  
"Going somewhere?"  
  
They dragged him away and slammed him against the wall next to the girl.  
  
"Let go of me!" he squeaked, struggling against them.  
  
"Quiet, pip-squeak," the leader said, "You're disturbing the main course."  
  
"No! Help! Rath! Ava! Lon…"  
  
The vampires cut him off by hitting over the head, effectively shutting him up.  
  
"Hey, Zan, you won't believe what I just found…" Rath called as he expertly jumped out of the sewer. He stopped dead in his tracks on seeing his best friend and some chick trapped against a wall by three really ugly looking dudes.  
  
"I think we've hit the jackpot, fellas," a vampire sneered, "more food," he walked up to Rath and sniffed, "fresh too."  
  
Rath glared at him, "Escape from the ugly farm?" he asked coolly. The vampire grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall. A low growl escaped his throat.  
  
"For that crack, you'll watch your friends die," he snarled in his face. Rath swiped the air in front of him with his hand in disgust.  
  
"Ever hear of toothpaste?" he asked, sarcastically, "No, of course not. Though, I think it might be too late for that. Some bleach ought to help."  
  
"Rath!" Zan hissed, "Ix-nay on the aunting-tay."  
  
"You better listen to your friend, kid."  
  
"Why? You don't listen to your brain," Rath continued, "Oh, oops, you don't have one."  
  
"Rath!"  
  
"What Zan? Don't give 'em the satisfaction."  
  
The vampire growled and rammed Rath into the wall again. He kept his eyes trained on Rath's intense face. He addressed the others without turning.  
  
"Drain 'em," he growled. Zan's eyes widened in fear as the vampire holding the girl leaned down and sank his teeth into her neck. A split second later, his own neck was being assaulted. He began to feel weak. He glanced over at Rath. A look of pure rage was etched upon his face. His vampire was still holding him up about two feet from the ground by his upper arms, laughing at the show.  
  
Zan saw Rath raise his right hand to the vampire's chest and concentrate. His hand began to glow yellow. The vampire didn't even have time to scream in pain and shock before he was disintegrated into a silent pile of dust. Rath landed on the ground with a cat-like grace not fit for his age. He came up behind the other two vampires and put his hands on their backs. He concentrated on heating them up. Zan and the girl dropped to the ground, unconscious.  
  
Rath kneeled next to his best friend and cradled his head in his lap. He shook him.  
  
"Zan? Zan, wake the hell up!" he yelled in his ear, "Wake up! I ain't draggin' your lazy butt all the way home!" He shook him again. "Get up, Zanther!"  
  
Zan groaned and his eyes fluttered. His head flopped to the side and he passed out again. Rath sighed and dropped his head. He made his way over to the girl.  
  
"Hey girl! Wake up!" he said, nudging her. There was even less response than with Zan, but he knew she was alive. He gave up on trying to wake them and went to get Zan. He dragged him over to the manhole and began to climb down with him, a task that was cut short when he dropped him. He cursed under his breath and went back for the girl. She was lighter than Zan, so it was slightly easier to get her down into the sewer. He rested her near Zan and then went back up to close the grate.  
  
Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming closer echoing across the sewer. He quickly looked for a hiding place. Considering that this was a sewer, there weren't very many possibilities, especially for a twelve-year-old boy with two unconscious bodies on his hands. He would have to defend them with his powers if need be.  
  
"Why do I gotta look for 'em. I ain't their mom," the person (a girl) was grumbling, "One day, I oughta blast Lonnie, then she'll see who's queen around here."  
  
Rath recognized the voice. It was Ava!  
  
"Ava?" he called, somewhat tentatively. The person stopped.  
  
"Rath! Where the hell are you?" she said.  
  
"Down here!"  
  
"Yeah big help," she said, "Where's Zan?"  
  
"He's knocked out."  
  
"Okay, I'm coming."  
  
Rath sighed in relief and slumped on the sewer wall. He took the time to study this new girl. She had long, dark brown hair. She had pouty lips, covered in black lipstick to match her black leather outfit. The dark clothes emphasized her pale skin.  
  
"Who's this?" asked Ava, startling him as she stooped down. He looked up sharply.  
  
"I dunno, some girl. We got attacked in the alley by weird…vampire guys."  
  
"Weird vampire guys," Ava stated, not believing him.  
  
"Either that or there's some damn ugly humans out there biting people's necks in alleys," he said dryly, "C'mon, help me carry 'em home."  
  
"Home?" she asked in disbelief, "We're taking the human with us? What are we gonna tell her?"  
  
"We can't just leave her here."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Come on, are you gonna help or not?"  
  
"Fine," she acquiesced. She grabbed the girl by the shoulders and started to drag her in the direction of their part of the sewer. Rath did the same with Zan.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
"So, Rath actually saved your life?" Maria asked.  
  
"I thought he was a clone of Michael," Liz said, to herself.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maria asked.  
  
"Well, Michael wouldn't just…save a stranger. Not like Max…"  
  
"Max isn't perfect," Maria replied.  
  
"I know he isn't," Liz explained, "I'm just saying that Michael wouldn't put himself in danger to save someone else."  
  
She took a bite of her vanilla ice cream. Maria slammed down her spoon.  
  
"That shows how much you know, Liz," she said, offended, "Michael has put himself in danger before."  
  
"Yeah, to find a way home."  
  
"Ooh, I smell a fight," Anya whispered to Ava. Ava nodded. "I'll go get some popcorn."  
  
She was about to get up when a large bowl of warm, butter flavored popcorn floated into her lap. She smiled to the air.  
  
"Thanks Dennis," she said, then turned to Ava, "I wish I had a ghost. I shall have to tell Xander to get one. Maybe I'll tell him it is my birthday or some other mortal holiday," she said before turning back to the impending battle in the middle of the floor.  
  
"Yeah, well, believe it or not, the world still revolves while you're ogling Max!" Maria said to her best friend, "Or did you forget when he went to save Max from the FBI, or when he used his powers in front of a government agent to save the world, not to mention got shot trying to protect me and Laurie," she said, passionately. "Have you forgotten Las Cruces already?" she asked. Liz just looked down at her feet. "Well, if you think so little of him, then he should add another to his list of betrayals. You know what he thinks of you?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "He thinks of you as a sister. And that's a lot to ask of him."  
  
She glared at Liz's ashamed form before storming out of the room. Liz plopped down on the abandoned couch with her head in her hands. The other girls stared in silence between Liz and the direction Maria had just disappeared in. The happy mood of the slumber party was killed by the careless outburst. After they came out of the shock, they noticed the lone sound of crunching. They turned to the source. The crunching stopped.  
  
"What?" Anya asked, putting down the popcorn, "I thought it was a good show."  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, the guys were just lazing around in the lobby. Rath, Michael, Kyle and Alex were playing poker, with Pringles, in the middle of the room. Gunn, Spike, Max and Zan were playing All four's on the left side of the room, deep in concentration. Spike was whipping them badly.  
  
"I am so bored!" Rath exclaimed, dropping his cards.  
  
"Why? You and Michael are winning," Kyle said, gesturing to the 3 large piles of Pringles in front of the clones.  
  
"Yeah," Alex said, "You sure you're not using any Czech skills? I mean, besides the uncrackable poker faces."  
  
"No," Michael said, "That's why it's so boring. Too easy."  
  
"You got Maria's ability to clean out any poker game, didn't you?" Alex asked. Michael smirked.  
  
"Scared Whitman?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He put four more Pringles to the pool. Alex looked from him, to Rath, to his cards.  
  
"I fold."  
  
"Me too," Kyle said, "What do you have?"  
  
Rath smirked triumphantly, "A whole lotta nothin'," he answered, triumphantly putting down his hand of a 7 of diamonds, 5 of spades, King of clubs, queen of hearts and a 2 of hearts.  
  
"Aw, man!" Kyle said in disbelief, "What do you have, Guerin?"  
  
"Two pair," he answered, showing them his very low valued hand. He smirked at their disbelieving faces and grabbed his pile of Pringles.  
  
(A.N.: I would make some more poker complaints/comments, but I don't have a clue how to play the game.)  
  
Kyle shook his head and started muttering under his breath about hustling aliens.  
  
  
  
Maria returned to the living room half an hour later. The girls were just sitting there, uncomfortably. Liz was still sitting on the sofa, a bowl of melted vanilla ice cream in her hands, looking like she just lost her best friend. She was, of course, overreacting, as is Liz's way. Isabel, Cordelia, Buffy, Willow and Tara were all reading magazines in silence. The only ones who didn't seem to have a problem were Anya, Ava and Faith.  
  
"Hey, guys," Maria said as she sat down next to Liz.  
  
"Better now?" Faith asked.  
  
"Yeah, continue with the story."  
  
"Okay. So then me and Rath dragged Faith and Zan to the crib and Lonnie had a cow. You'd swear she was dumping bulldozers…"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What the hell is that human doing here?" she screamed at Ava as she dragged the girl over to the makeshift house. Ava cringed at the gruff, unfeeling tone of Lonnie's voice. Lonnie was so not her favorite person.  
  
"What does it look like? She's knocked out," Rath retorted as he dragged Zan over to lie next to her.  
  
"I can see that," she said, coldly, "Why is she here? You coulda just left her. We do not need this right now. She could be a enemy or somethin' and you just bring her down in our place. Why?"  
  
"I couldn't just leave her there, ya know," he said, looking down on her, "Some of us have a conscience."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whateva. When she turns us in to the FBI don't come ta me."  
  
"Why would I come to you? You'd be with us."  
  
Lonnie growled at him and stalked away.  
  
"She's gonna off you one of these days," Ava told Rath.  
  
"Not if I don't off her first."  
  
"Like you got the balls to off somebody," Zan said in a strained voice. Ava broke out in a wide grin and hugged Zan. Rath just patted his knee.  
  
"Welcome back, buddy," he said, "Why the hell didn't you wake up when I had to drag you halfway up the sewer!"  
  
"I'm da man, I don't gotta walk," he joked. A low moan interrupted their familiar banter. All eyes turned to the awakening brunette.  
  
"I'm gonna kill whoever ran me over," she grumbled opening her eyes. Her vision was blurry. She blinked to clear it and began to make out figures, more importantly, the strange boy staring down at her. Then, the memories of a few hours ago began to come back to her. In nervous fright, she pushed the boy off her.  
  
"Get the hell off me!" she screamed, "Who the hell are you, what do you want from me!"  
  
"You don't need to know, and I was just helping you. Next time I'll leave you there to rot," Rath answered, calmly getting to his feet. Faith sat up quickly and took in her surroundings. She could tell she was in the sewer somewhere with a bunch of strange kids. She looked at the other people in the room. There were two blonde chicks. One looked extremely pissed off and the other looked slightly friendly. Next to the friendly looking blonde was the boy that tried to save her last night. He obviously didn't do a good job on his own. She then turned to the other boy, standing next to her with an annoying smirk on his face.  
  
"I could take care of myself, you know," she said, getting to her feet. Rath caught her as her legs gave out.  
  
"Sure ya can," he said, laying her back down.  
  
"Well, she's obviously fine now, so get her the hell out of my sewer!" Lonnie yelled.  
  
"Shut up, Lonnie! God!" Zan yelled back.  
  
"Fine! Lick her feet and serve her, why don't ya! See if I care!" she said, stalking off.  
  
"What the hell is her problem?" Faith asked.  
  
"Princess complex," Rath answered, "So, what's ya name?"  
  
"Faith. How 'bout you?"  
  
"I'm Rath. This is Zan and Ava. Lonnie just left the buildin'."  
  
"Cool nicknames."  
  
"Yeah, whatever."  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"What's with the twenty questions?" Zan asked.  
  
"Rude much? Yo, I wasn't talkin' to you," Faith retorted.  
  
"Well, I'm da man, and I'm talkin' to you!"  
  
"Ooh. I'm shakin'. By the way, your voice changin' any time soon?"  
  
Zan glared at her and was going to make another retort when Ava cut him off.  
  
"We're twelve, what about you?"  
  
"Fifteen, cool hair."  
  
"Thanks. Nice outfit."  
  
"Thanks. So, anyway. I'll just stay here until I get better, and then I'll be out of your hair."  
  
"No prob," Rath replied.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So I ended up staying there for about six months," Faith finished.  
  
"Cool," said Maria, "How'd Lonnie like that one?"  
  
"If looks could kill…"  
  
"Ice princess glare, huh?" Maria asked, "We get our own share of that."  
  
Isabel glared at her, then broke into a grin.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" she asked. They all shrugged.  
  
"Makeover?" Cordelia suggested.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Umm…"  
  
With that idea shot to hell, they decided to watch movies for the rest of the night, and thus continued the girl bonding.  
  
  
  
A figure sat outside Cordelia's window watching the bonding in the little yellow apartment. It watched the smiling faces and grinned evilly. Soon, they would be dead. Soon, they would wish they were never born. The figure turned and walked away without being noticed by those inside. Soon. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

1.1 DISCLAIMER: Yeah right. If they were mine, do you think Ben, Doyle and Alex would be dead? Hell no! I'm just kidnapping them for a little while…shh, don't tell WB and UPN.  
  
CATEGORY: Buffy/ Roswell crossover.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry about chapter ten, I know it sucked. Hopefully this one is better. Sorry about the wait, too. * bows head in shame *  
  
1.2  
  
1.3 CHAPTER ELEVEN  
  
It was now August. The summer was almost over and the parents did not like the fact that their children were away for two months straight, especially with their significant others. They had had a meeting the night before when they couldn't hold off the Parkers and Evans any longer. If they didn't leave soon, their parents would probably send out the FBI and the CIA to get them out of LA and back in their cozy desert homes. They had decided that Angel, Gunn, Cordelia and Wesley would stay and hold the fort in Los Angeles while they were gone. Rath and Michael, who had bonded over Amy Deluca and her rolled up newspaper of death, decided to move in together when they got back to Roswell. It would be more believable for two brothers to live together. Besides, two of them meant more people to work, which meant more make out time each. They would have to get a larger apartment eventually, but that would come later. Their only problem was placing Zan, Ava and Faith, and explaining the sudden reappearance of Alex. Oh well, just another day with the Pod Squad.  
  
The entire Scooby gang was moving back into their huge house, which was lived in maybe three weeks before it was abandoned for a hotel in Los Angeles, but not before visiting good old Sunnydale for a demon check. They had basically forgotten about the Hellmouth for a while there and Buffy was going back with her gang to make sure the small town hadn't been over run by demons and vampires. They would have taken the new Slayer, but Amy Deluca-Valenti was deemed more dangerous to their health than any number of demons.  
  
"So, where are Zan, Faith and Ava going to live?" Willow asked as she helped Isabel pack weapons into a big trunk.  
  
"I don't know," she said, "I'm sure Ava could stay with Valenti like Tess did. Zan…could probably stay with us since he's Max's 'twin brother' and all," she stood up and wiped her brow, "Faith…I guess she can stay with us, too. We'll see when we get there."  
  
"So, how do you think your parents are gonna react to another Max?"  
  
"Mom'll have a heart attack and then she'll probably practically strangle him to death. I'm not sure about Dad."  
  
They finished packing and started dragging the thing upstairs to the lobby with the rest of their stuff. It seemed that they were leaving with more things than they came with. It was probably all the excess shopping they did in their off time.  
  
Everybody met up in the lobby for the last time before they headed their separate ways. They might have been bored as hell in that place, but they were sure going to miss it. Cordelia was sure that her lack of visions was due to the alien presence and thought that they would be back with a vengeance as soon as they walked out the door. As much as they had a rivalry, Wesley had to admit that he was going to miss his study buddy in Giles. Now he would be the only old English dude…well, old in actions. Gunn was going to miss Kyle, because they had become close over the past few months as the youngest, available guys on the team. Now he had nobody his own age to play with…well, Cordelia didn't count. Nobody really wanted to say goodbye.  
  
The girls exchanged tearful hugs and sappy farewells while the guys stood around uncomfortably after exchanging quick manly hugs.  
  
"Well, we better go before Spike bursts into flames," Xander said. Spike glared at him, even though he knew it was true.  
  
"Yeah, we better," Buffy said, with a sigh, "We'll see you guys in a month."  
  
With that, the Scooby Gang walked out the door to the car they rented for the trip back to Sunnydale.  
  
"Guess we better go, too," said Liz, "We'll keep in touch, okay."  
  
"Yeah," Cordelia said.  
  
They all said their last good-byes and then left for the airport. The team was separated, but not broken as the teenagers went back to their parents.  
  
  
  
Summer ended too quickly, and soon, school was upon them. With the help of Alex, Rath, Zan and Ava were entered into the school system as Ava Wilson, Alexzander Johnson and Rath O'Connor. The town had graciously accepted their cover story about the return of Alex, though there were a couple of conspiracy stories. These were cleared up easily by Ava, but in a non- dangerous way. The Valentis and the Delucas moved into a bigger house that was near to Buffy's. Jim Valenti had gotten his job back as the sheriff earlier in the summer when the mayor realized that Hanson was a complete retard and allowed the town to become a city of unsolved cases and unnecessary shoot outs. Rath, Ava, Zan and Faith got jobs at the Crashdown as cooks and waitresses, once again Liz's connections feeding her friends. They were offered jobs at the UFO center but they thought it too demeaning…like working in an alien theme restaurant was any different. Eventually, Zan got fired for incompetence and bad cooking, and was sent over to the UFO center to sweep floors with his 'twin'.  
  
Rath and Michael moved into a bigger apartment with two bedrooms after receiving Rath's first paycheck. They moved Michael's furniture (a couch and a bed, big whoop) and fixed it up using a little alien magic. Michael made Rath sleep on the newly 'reupholstered' couch until he could buy his own damn bed, not like Rath minded. The first time he ever had a bed was at the hotel.  
  
Zan moved in with the Evans as soon as he got to Roswell. Diane Evans welcomed him with open arms, though she was a little wary of the tattoos and piercings. She was a little disappointed that they kept him a secret, but was happy non-the less.  
  
Ava found a home in the newly extended Valenti family. Kyle, Maria, Ava, Sean, Amy and Valenti all moved into a house on Palm Drive with four bedrooms and a backyard. The addition of Ava was unplanned for, but she quickly became a part of the family.  
  
Alex's parents were pleasantly surprised when their 'dead' son showed up on their doorstep one day in August with a nervous smile on his face. At first they thought they were crazy, but then they began to smother him as only a parent could. They treated him as if he would disappear within five seconds. In other words, they spoiled him rotten. This was probably the reason why Faith was accepted into the family so easily. She became another sister he never had. The Whitmans had their family back and were finally out of their pit of despair.  
  
It was now Monday morning, in the early September. Nine teenagers met at the front of West Roswell High School. They all, with the exception of Kyle and Maria, were glad to be back at school. Kyle and Maria were the last to arrive. They made their way over to the quad, where the others were waiting.  
  
"Hey, guys!" Maria said, brightly as she sat down. Hey, just because she didn't like school, didn't mean that she was all depressed about it. Kyle sat down beside her and slammed his head onto the table. He immediately went back to sleep.  
  
"Man, for a jock, he's really lazy," said Alex.  
  
"Where's Michael and Rath?" Maria asked.  
  
"Knowing Michael? Sleeping. Knowing Rath? Sleeping," Isabel quipped.  
  
"Who's bright idea was it to let the two laziest people on Earth live together?" Max asked.  
  
"Um, yours?" Alex asked. Max blushed and ducked his head.  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
Just then, Jim Valenti pulled up in front of the school. He hopped out of his jeep and opened the back door, dragging out two half sleeping Czechoslovakians. He pushed them in the direction of the others, stopping in front of the bench they occupied.  
  
"I think these are yours," he said, with a wink, before tipping his hat and trotting back to the jeep. He sped off. Rath and Michael plopped down on the bench and dropped their heads on the table, much like Kyle.  
  
"Too early," Rath groaned.  
  
"Must kill Valenti," Michael grumbled, sleepily.  
  
"C'mon Spaceboys, get up," Maria urged nudging them.  
  
"No, wanna sleep," Rath mumbled. His head flopped to the side and promptly fell off the bench, "Huh, wha?"  
  
Everyone started laughing. The loud sounds awakened Michael and Kyle. They sat up, confused, then saw Rath on the ground looking like Britney Spears in a Physics book. They put two and two together and started laughing, too. Rath flipped them off and stood up, dusting his jeans. He ran his hand through his hair and scowled.  
  
"You have your schedules?" Max asked. All but Michael, Rath, Zan and Ava nodded.  
  
"Don't worry, I got 'em for you," Dawn said, holding up four pieces of paper.  
  
"Watch me while I jump for joy," Michael said, sarcastically.  
  
"Okay," Maria said, brightly, snatching the paper from Dawn, "Let's compare notes."  
  
Everyone put their schedules in the middle of the table and checked who was with whom.  
  
"We all have lunch together," Maria squealed, "Okay, Spaceboy, you and tattoo guy have homeroom with me, Liz and Kyle now. Max, you take Zan and Ava, they have homeroom with you, Izzy, and Alex. Dawnie, you're on your own. Your class is in hallway B, the first classroom on the right."  
  
"Tattoo guy?" Rath questioned his new nickname.  
  
"Couldn't think of anything else."  
  
At that, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the torture otherwise known as high school. The group split into three, if you could call Dawn a group, and went off to their respective homerooms.  
  
  
  
Liz, Kyle, Maria, Michael and Rath strolled into their homeroom class as the late bell rang. They all found seats in the back and waited for the teacher to arrive.  
  
"All right people," a woman that seemed to be in her late forties said as she put her stuff on the teacher's desk, "I'm going to be your new homeroom teacher this year." She picked up a roll sheet and read through the names. "Damn! Guerin," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head, "Well, at least he wouldn't be here now."  
  
Michael, who had heard her, answered from the back; "I'm here, Mrs. Peterson."  
  
The woman jumped and turned to look at the delinquent lurking in the back row. For a moment there, she looked almost terrified. She fought to regain her composure as the class snickered behind her back. She cleared her throat and began, "Yes, well. It seems we have a new student here today." She looked back at her sheet. "Is Mr.…O'Connor here, yet?" Rath put up his hand with his head still on the desk. "Well, come down to the front of the class and introduce yourself." She bent down to dig in her briefcase as Rath stood up and made his way to the front of the class. He stood up behind her silently as she dug around. Michael and Kyle snickered in the back row.  
  
"Mrs. Peterson?" Rath said, innocently…well, as innocently as Rath could sound.  
  
"Hmm?" she said as she turned around. She looked up and screamed, grabbing her chest. The class burst out laughing.  
  
"Hey, I'm Michael's twin brother, Rath," he said, sweetly…well, as sweetly as Rath could sound. You get the picture.  
  
"T-two of them," she said, before she fainted. By now, half the class was in hysterics. Leave it to Guerin and his brother to make a teacher faint on the first day of school. They started cheering and Rath took a bow as the bell rang. The students abandoned the class, leaving a few goody two shoes to pick up Mrs. Peterson. Rath smiled as he walked out. This wasn't too bad.  
  
  
  
"…And she just keeled over!" Kyle laughed at lunchtime. The whole gang was gathered in the quad by the trees. Kyle just couldn't get enough of telling the story of Mrs. Peterson's demise. The whole group started to laugh.  
  
"Oh my God," Dawn gasped, "Michael, what did you do to that poor woman?"  
  
"Man, I don't even remember. She was just…scared of me all of a sudden," he said.  
  
"I remember," Max said, once he'd calmed down, "It was in eighth grade, remember? She was our English teacher and she wanted us to do an essay. I think it was 'My favorite Day at School' or something…"  
  
"Oh yeah, I remember that," Isabel said, "and so you massacred all the teachers and she was first 'cause she made you write the essay."  
  
"And he had graphics!" Max finished, smiling, proud of himself for remembering.  
  
"And she's still scared of that?" asked Michael, scratching his head.  
  
"I would be scared if I were her," Alex said, grinning, "Did you see the look on your face in eighth grade?" he shuddered, "Scary."  
  
"Funny, Whitman."  
  
"So that's why all those teachers freaked out today," Rath said, remembering all the shocked and petrified faces.  
  
"Yeah, you're even scarier than Michael, what with the tattoos and all," Kyle said.  
  
"Aw, I love you, too, Valenti," Rath said sarcastically, "Man, how much longer do we have of school?" he whined.  
  
"About…three hours, thirty seven minutes, twenty-three seconds," Michael answered.  
  
"Too long," he groaned, banging his head on the table.  
  
  
  
After a lot of pushing and shoving, Zan and Kyle dragged Michael and Rath to gym class. The two looked like little kids in the face of the bogeyman. No way were they going to exert themselves in something as retarded as gym. Seriously, Michael had been to gym once in his entire life and refused to go back. Rath, well he was just lazy. Neither of them could figure out the point of gym. The boys sat in the bleachers waiting on the coach with the others in the class. They were all wearing the mandatory West Roswell High T-shirts and red short pants.  
  
The coach strolled in five minutes late carrying a clipboard and a silver whistle. He was forty-something year old man with veiny arms and a beer belly. He reminded Michael of Hank, his abusive foster father. Of course, that was one of the unspoken reasons why he didn't like gym. Coach stood in the middle of the room and surveyed his students. His eyes landed on Michael and he smirked.  
  
"Got over your fear of gym, huh Guerin."  
  
Michael growled under his breath and Kyle swore he could see him bear teeth.  
  
"No," he answered coolly, "I just had surgery so now I can't smell you."  
  
The boys snickered as the coach's face turned red.  
  
"You just earned yourself some laps, boy."  
  
"Really? I thought I would have to work harder for that. You turnin' soft coach? Can't take it?"  
  
"That is it! Detention!"  
  
"Hmm," Michael said, "That's what was missing this term."  
  
The whole class started laughing. The coach pulled out his whistle and blew. Hard. His eyes were bugging out, he was so angry.  
  
"Everybody, ten laps around the field. Guerin and Guerin's brother, twenty laps," he yelled.  
  
"Hey why do I gotta do twenty laps?" Rath asked.  
  
"You just look like trouble. Figured I would nip it in the bud," he growled, "Now everybody go. Now!"  
  
The whole class groaned and ran out of the gym. The coach followed them and stood on the sidelines. He smirked, expecting Guerin and that punk brother of his to drop after the first lap.  
  
"This is supposed to be hard?" Rath asked the panting Kyle and Zan.  
  
"You're not tired?" Kyle asked incredulously. They were on their tenth lap and Michael and Rath looked like they were still on their first.  
  
Michael shrugged, "Not as hard as I thought."  
  
"Whatever," Kyle said as he reached the end of the track, "That's it for me. Have fun."  
  
The coach blew his whistle. "Okay, everyone except Guerin and his brother, get inside and choose teams for a basketball game. Valenti, you organize it and start this game. I have to watch these two. Make sure they know who's boss."  
  
Kyle nodded and followed the other boys to the gym to start their game. Coach turned back to the field to watch Rath and Michael. They didn't look tired in the least. And from where he was standing, it looked like they were talking while they were running. This made the coach even angrier. They were supposed to be drooping by now, goddamn it!  
  
"Don't you wish we had powers like Ava? Then we wouldn't have to waste energy to do this," said Michael, while they were on the opposite end of the field as the coach.  
  
"Yeah, well, this ain't so bad. And at least it's pissing off the coach," said Rath, "Man, I just wanna smack that guy. 'You just look like trouble'," he mocked, "Dog."  
  
"I say we give him a rash."  
  
"Damn straight we givin' him a rash," Rath said, with a smirk, "wouldn't be us if we didn't."  
  
The coach looked on as the brothers gave each other a high five. The stamina on those two. Even Kyle, the football god, was tuckered out by the ten laps. They were on sixteen laps and chatting like they were strolling down the road.  
  
"Okay," Coach said as they came into earshot, "I want you to speed up. Run as fast as you can down the track. No jogging."  
  
"Whatever," they grumbled. They sped up as they reached the big white line on the track that was the starting point for the track team. Within seconds they were gunning it down the track at high speeds. The coach was amazed. He'd started timing them on their second lap at that speed and was dumbfounded. They were faster than his whole football team. Even Kyle. They slowed down and stopped in front of the coach, out of breath. That was the most strenuous activity they ever did that wasn't sex. They walked up to the coach and patted him on the back.  
  
"That was fun," Michael said sarcastically.  
  
"Smell you later," said Rath as they walked away. They strolled back into the gym and made their way over to Kyle who was watching the basketball game.  
  
"Miss us?" Rath said, turning to the court. Kyle did a double take when he saw the upright aliens. They looked fine and they had just finished twenty laps around the whole entire football field.  
  
"How the hell are you still talking," he asked, "You're supposed to be worn out and near collapsing. That much running should be illegal."  
  
They shrugged. It wasn't anything hard.  
  
"So, who is winning?" asked Rath, sitting down on the bleachers.  
  
"Zan's team," he answered, "he's pretty good."  
  
"Of course he is, I trained him," Rath said.  
  
They watched for another ten minutes until the bell rang to signify the end of class and school for the day. The boys headed for the showers then left the school.  
  
Rath, Michael, Zan and Kyle all headed out for the parking lot to meet the others. Rath spotted Faith almost instantly and trotted over to meet her. He swept her up into his arms and kissed her.  
  
"Dude, middle of car park here," Kyle said. They broke apart, breathing heavily, and rested their foreheads against each other. Michael looked around for Maria and saw her coming from the building, chatting it up with Alex.  
  
"Hey baby," Michael said as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Hey," she replied.  
  
"Girls say, boys say," Alex sang. They all watched him strangely before cracking up. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

1.1 DISCLAIMER: No es mio. I don't own nothing.  
  
1.2 AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, people! I'm ba-ack! Hope you enjoy this chapter, though I really think it's the worse yet.  
  
FEEDBACK: Gimme gimme gimme! Thanks to everyone who sent me feedback. Continue telling me what you think. If you think it sucks, don't bother.  
  
1.3  
  
1.4 CHAPTER TWELVE  
  
The room was large and dark. A thousand candles lit the room in its eerie light. The air was heavy with its musty, waxy smell. She paced up and down, her blonde hair flowing down to the middle of her back. Her black shirt hung loosely off her slender body. Her shoes made the only sounds in the room.  
  
Suddenly the door burst open. A tall man with brown hair and a muscular build ambled towards her. He wore a black shirt and black pants. His hair stuck out in all direction. He looked to be in his late teens.  
  
"Rath!" she exclaimed, running over to him. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close.  
  
"Nice to see you, too," he said, trying to pry the woman off of him, "Cortenia, you can let go, now."  
  
"What, I can't give my best friend a hug?" she teased in her Irish-type accent, "Heaven forbid, big army man gets a hug. Whatever will the other soldiers think?"  
  
"Ha, ha. Very funny, woman." He smiled at her and led her to a bench. "So, what did you call me for?"  
  
"Too good for me now, are ya? Well, fine. A girl can take a hint."  
  
"Stop bein' so dramatic, Cort, what did you want me for?"  
  
"Why, to complain to you about Zan, of course," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"What did he do now?"  
  
"Nothing! That's the problem. The city looks like crap and he does nothin'!" she said, exasperated. She started to pace, "Has the boy ever even been out of the palace walls?"  
  
Rath said nothing.  
  
"I tell ya, you would make a better king than he. He probably won't have a clue what to do outside the palace walls, in the city. No, don't want to get mud on the soles of his royal boots, oh god no. Smite me down for such a thought."  
  
"Cortenia, you're over reacting. It can't be that…"  
  
"Bad?" she said, cutting him off, "the roads are muddy, parts of the town in shambles. People are starvin' and it's not that bad? Do you see what I see?"  
  
"Not really, considering I can only come out at night."  
  
"And why is that? Can't be seen with me?"  
  
"I have troops to train, strategies to develop. What, did you think I lie around all day, feeling up concubines and eating grapes?"  
  
"Army boy jokes, what a day it is!" She put her hands on her chest and feigned surprise. Rath laughed at her expression. He pulled her down to sit next to him again.  
  
"It'll be okay, Cortenia. You'll see. You have to give Zan a chance. He's only been on the throne for six months. Let him settle."  
  
"I still say you'd make a better ruler."  
  
"And not another word of that. I've told you a million times; I will not go against Zan, Cortenia. He's my best friend…"  
  
"Ahem!"  
  
"After you, of course."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"I'm not King, nor am I going to try to be King."  
  
"But, lots of people would support you, they do support you!"  
  
"I wouldn't support me. I'm happy being the general, Cortenia."  
  
She sighed. "Fine…but you can't stop me complainin'."  
  
"The day someone does will be a cold day in hell," Rath said, with a laugh. Cortenia smacked him on the arm.  
  
"So, how's it goin' in the big fancy palace?"  
  
"Boring as usual. Guess what," he said, dryly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm betrothed, yay me."  
  
"Betrothed as in they picked a wife out for you?"  
  
"Unfortunately."  
  
"So, who's the poor unfortunate soul that's stuck with ya for the rest of her life?"  
  
"Lonnie."  
  
"Lonnie? As in Princess Vilandra?"  
  
"The one and only."  
  
"Aw, poor baby."  
  
Just then, they heard an excited squeal coming from the doorway behind them. Rath turned around just in time to see a small blonde girl launch herself into his arms. It was Cortenia's twin sister, Kaylanna. She'd had a crush on him since they all met on the beach when they were thirteen.  
  
Rath remembered that day clearly. It was the first time he had ever snuck out of the palace. The Queen and her advisors thought it best if the royal children stayed within the castle walls, for Khivar was still an unseen threat. Although Zan and Vilandra had no problem with that rule, Rath was dying to go outside. He wanted to visit the beach that he stared at everyday from his balcony. He wanted to play with the other children he saw out there, children that were not specially chosen playmates. He wanted different scenery from what he saw everyday at the palace. That day on the beach was the best day of his life. It was the day that he found his very best friend in the world, Cortenia. He was closer to her than even Zan, and he was supposed to be his best friend. Sure, he liked Zan, loved him like a brother, but Zan was just too…old. Five years is a big difference when you're thirteen. After that day, Rath snuck out of the palace every week and met Cortenia at the beach. Up to now, nobody noticed.  
  
"Rath! I haven't seen you in ages!" Kaylanna screeched.  
  
"Hello, Kaylanna," Rath said. He grimaced as Kaylanna tightened her grip on his and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Cortenia stifled a giggle at the expression on Rath's face. It was a mixture of annoyance and fear. She knew that Rath didn't feel that way about either of them, but that didn't stop her sister from obsessing over him. If it weren't for the fact that he lived in a heavily guarded castle, she would damn near be stalking him. She was pretty sure her sister had a shrine of him somewhere around.  
  
"Where's your boyfriend, Anna?" asked Cortenia, trying to distract her.  
  
"Boyfriend? I do not love him, he is too…too…immature!" she said, "He's not a real man like you, Rath," she added seductively, batting her eyelids at him. Cortenia rolled her eyes.  
  
"You do not love me?!" a voice shouted in disbelief.  
  
"Nikaid!" Klyanna exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, my so called girlfriend lives here and I came to see her," he said. There was a look of pure anguish etched on his face. The love of his life didn't love him back. The despair was quickly replaced by anger.  
  
"So, what? You love him? You think he wants you?! News flash! He has his own wife back at the palace!" he smirked at her devastated face. "Didn't know that, huh? Did you think he would give up the good life for you? You're wrong. You probably disgust him…"  
  
"Nikaid…"  
  
"Don't Nikaid me, Kaylanna, I thought what we had was special. I thought we had a good thing. I thought you cared about me!"  
  
"I do care, Nikaid…" she pleaded, but he continued as if she hadn't said anything.  
  
"But I was wrong," he laughed, dryly, "Guess I won't be needing this anymore." He yanked a little box out of his pocket and slammed it on the floor at her feet. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at her with tears in his eyes, "Goodbye!" he stalked out of the room and slammed the door.  
  
Rath and Cortenia glanced at each other, not sure what to do. They settled for wrapping the frail girl in their arms. Silent tears were running down her face as she stared at the box on the floor. It had cracked open with the force of hitting the floor. A small diamond ring sat in its home of black velvet.  
  
  
  
Xander Harris sat in the TV room of their Council provided house in the desert. Roswell had to be the most boring place in the world. He and Anya were home alone. It was Monday morning, the third week of September, the second week of school. Willow and Tara had enrolled at the University of New Mexico, Giles got a job at the library at West Roswell High and Buffy and Faith worked the day shift at the Crashdown. He and Anya were left at home to do the housework, etc., in other words, they got housewife duty. Anya walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"Xander?" she said, softly.  
  
"Yeah?" he answered, not taking his eyes off the TV.  
  
"Remember when Glory tried to end the world?"  
  
"Kind of hard to forget, An," he replied. He pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her neck.  
  
"Remember the nice pretty ring you gave me?"  
  
Xander froze. She continued.  
  
"I want to know when the wedding is…Xander, continue kissing my neck."  
  
"Anya…"  
  
"Xander, don't you still want to marry me? When do we get to tell everybody?" she asked, "You said after they got over Buffy dying, but she's been not dead for three months."  
  
"An…"  
  
"You don't want me anymore, I get it. Fine! I'll just cast a spell on you and…and…give you boils on your penis!"  
  
"Anya! Shh, okay?" he said, softly, "Yes, I still want to marry you."  
  
"When?"  
  
"I don't know, but, you can tell everybody if you want, how's that?"  
  
"Thank you, Xander," she said, "Now, let's go have sex!"  
  
  
  
"Mom! I'm home!" Maria yelled as she walked into the new Valenti home. She dropped her bag on the couch and went to the kitchen to seek out her mother.  
  
"Oh, hey honey," Amy Valenti greeted. She stopped chopping onions. "I was meaning to talk to you."  
  
"Okay, what's up?" Maria asked. She grabbed an apple from the fridge and sat on the counter.  
  
"It's about Michael," Amy stated. Maria almost choked on her apple.  
  
"W-what about him mom?"  
  
"Don't worry, sweetie, I just want you to bring him over for dinner tonight. He can bring his brother with him. I'm sure those boys don't eat properly."  
  
"Sure, mom," Maria said, relieved. At least she didn't ask about their relationship.  
  
"So, how's it going with you and Michael?" Amy asked.  
  
Damn. "It's great, mom. We've really gotten closer over the summer. He's a lot happier now that he has Rath with him. Now, I'm dating a ten-year-old, I swear."  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"Miss out on childhood, revert when you're older, I guess."  
  
"Well, that's great honey. Go call him now. He better come over for dinner, even if you have to drag him."  
  
"Fine, mom."  
  
Maria hopped off the counter and ran upstairs to her bedroom. She had her own private line now, well, one she shared with Ava. There were some advantages to the new move. She quickly dialed Michael's number and waited for him to pick up. After about five rings, the phone was answered.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Michael?"  
  
"Hey, baby. What's up?"  
  
"Mom, wants you to come over to dinner," she said, bluntly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She invited you and Rath to dinner. Attendance is mandatory. You have no choice."  
  
"Aw, man. Is she going to grill me?"  
  
"You better hope not."  
  
"You owe me."  
  
"We'll sort out the price later. Come over at six. I think she's making lasagna."  
  
"See you then." Then he hung up.  
  
Two hours later, Rath and Michael were standing at the front door of the Valenti house. Both were somewhat irritated for being pulled away from a hockey game on TV. Maria opened the door and let them in. Michael wore black jeans and a black T-shirt. Rath wore blue jeans and an army green T-shirt. They walked into the living room and sat on either side of Kyle on the couch. Luckily, Kyle was watching the hockey game and they were instantly entranced. Mrs. Valenti walked in and shook her head. Men. She stood in front of the TV with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Aw, come on," the twins whined. Kyle stayed silent. He knew the wrath of the ex-Deluca. He was not getting that turned on him.  
  
"Boys, you are here to eat dinner, not watch sports. This is family bonding," she said, turning off the TV. Rath and Michael looked at her as if they didn't recognize the term… which they probably didn't.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm taping it," Maria said. She knew this would happen. It was twice as worse, because now Michael found a new hockey buddy. When Michael heard that Rath had never seen a hockey game he was horrified and immediately started training him on the ins and outs of the game. Now, they had two hockey loving-Metallica fanatics on their hands. They shouldn't have expected any less. Technically, they were the same person.  
  
"Well, come on, dinner is ready," Amy said, ushering the boys to the kitchen. "Jim! Ava! Dinner!"  
  
Jim Valenti walked into the kitchen, cheerfully greeting the guests, while Ava shyly and silently sat at the table. Rath sat next to Ava and Michael sat opposite to Rath. Maria sat next to Michael, Kyle sat next to Maria and the two adults sat at the head and foot of the table.  
  
"So, kids," Amy started, "How's school going?"  
  
"Fine," Michael, Maria and Rath answered at the same time. Kyle rolled his eyes.  
  
"Nothing exciting happen?" Jim asked.  
  
"Not really," Michael and Maria said. Amy looked between them strangely.  
  
"Actually, coach said something interesting yesterday at practice," Kyle said, quick to diverge attention from them.  
  
"Yeah? What's that?" Amy asked.  
  
"Well, two of our players got injured in the last game and will be out for the next two months or so…"  
  
"Oh, that's too bad."  
  
"Yeah, well, he said he had two new recruits in mind," he said, grinning, somewhat evilly. Rath regarded him suspiciously.  
  
"Who's that?" asked Amy, "Anyone I know?"  
  
"Yeah," Kyle paused, getting ready to drop the bomb; "He wants Guerin and O'Connor."  
  
Michael and Rath choked on their lasagna.  
  
"Say what?!" they screeched.  
  
"Welcome to the football team. Coach said to tell you that you start on Monday."  
  
Michael stared at him in shock and utter disbelief. Then he started laughing; he was bordering on hysterical, really.  
  
"You want me to join the football team?" he choked out between chuckles, "I'd like to see you try. Ain't no way I'm joining the football team."  
  
"Actually," the sheriff said, "You are on the football team. You and Rath."  
  
Michael's jaw dropped.  
  
"Wha-wh-how…why?!"  
  
"Because, due to some absences," he said. Maria snorted. "Your credit isn't that good. Your other classes are somewhat balanced, but the fact that you've been to, and I quote: 'I about had a heart attack when he showed up for the second time while pigs were still on the ground'. Let's just say that joining the team is the only way to redeem yourself."  
  
"B-But…the football team?!" he whined, "Can't I do extra detention or something, more Bio homework…clean the damn school with a hairbrush?"  
  
"Sorry son, no can do. Miss class, do the time," he said.  
  
"You know that didn't rhyme right?" Maria commented.  
  
"I get A's and B's, what the hell!"  
  
"You have to actually go to class, son, not just show up and ace tests after skimming through the books the night before."  
  
"Why do I gotta do it? I'm new, I don't got no records," Rath complained.  
  
"Sorry, buddy, you and Michael are considered the same person," Kyle said, double meaning not lost on him, "he does it, you do it. Accept it and move on. Buddha says…"  
  
"Quote that bald guy and I swear I'll kill you," Rath all but growled at him. He turned to Michael. "Thanks a lot, bro, now I gotta be a jock. Can't wait for Faith to hear about this."  
  
*~*  
  
Two streets over, at the Whitman dinner table, the newly adopted Faith Whitman burst into hysterical laughter. Mr. and Mrs. Whitman, and Alex looked at her strangely.  
  
"What's so funny?" Alex asked his new sister quietly.  
  
"R…Rath and Michael…ha ha…football team," was all she could choke out between giggles.  
  
"What? They blew up the football team?"  
  
"No they're on it!"  
  
Alex was stunned until he got a picture of the two in their football uniforms prancing around with cheerleaders in his head. His imagination was way too warped. He started to laugh.  
  
* ~*  
  
In a house on the other side of town, a blonde alien started to crack up in the kitchen while doing the dishes with her brother. He stared at her in confusion. Was she going crazy?  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Mi…Mich…football team!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"M-Michael and Rath are on the football team," she choked out. Her face was turning red, she was laughing so much.  
  
"Izzy, I think you're delirious," he said, feeling her forehead.  
  
"No, it's true, Alex just told me. He heard it from Faith, who heard it from Rath," she said, calming down. A mischievous grin spread on her face. "Oh, I am going to have so much fun with this."  
  
*~*  
  
"Great! Faith knows," Rath groaned.  
  
"Damn it! That means Alex knows, which means Izzy knows which means we're screwed," Michael complained.  
  
"Damn it Kyle, I'm not joining the football team!"  
  
"Me neither!"  
  
"Boys! Boys!" Amy yelled, playing mediator, "You can kill Kyle on your own time."  
  
"Mom! Don't give them ideas!" Kyle blurted out. Amy looked at him in shock before engulfing him in a tight hug. She was crying. "What?" Kyle asked, confused.  
  
"You called me mom!" she said, excited.  
  
Kyle glanced at Michael and Rath over her shoulder. They shrugged. How should they know what was up with her. She was a Deluca, you don't ask, your brain stays intact.  
  
"I think this calls for a celebration," Jim Valenti said, touched by the scene of his wife and son, but feeling sorry for the poor confused boy. Kyle hadn't had a mother in ten years. This was new to him. "Let's go get ice cream, kids."  
  
The seven of them finished their dinner and then walked to 'The Milky Way' ice-cream parlor. The boys were still clueless, but, hey! It's free ice cream, who the hell cares! They went up to the counter and ordered their ice cream. Rath got Pistachio, Kyle got chocolate, Ava got orange pine, Amy got caramel and Jim got butter pecan. Michael and Maria got pistachio and mint chocolate chip mixed. Amy looked at her daughter strangely when they sat down.  
  
"Since when do you like Pistachio?" she asked. Maria shrugged and took a big bite. Michael, Rath and Ava drowned their ice cream in tobasco sauce.  
  
"What's with the tobasco?" Amy asked, cringing as her daughter's boyfriend ate a spoonful.  
  
"Tastes good, wanna try?" Rath asked, waving the spoon in front of the woman.  
  
"No thanks," she said in obvious disgust. Kids today. No sense of taste!  
  
"This needs something," Maria said, half to herself. Michael nodded. "Something chocolate."  
  
"M&Ms," Michael said, pulling a pack from his pocket.  
  
"I knew I loved you for something," Maria said as she coated their ice cream in the candy goodness. She tested and approved. Amy watched as her daughter ate the exact same concoction as her boyfriend…well, sans Tobasco sauce. It was strange, but she didn't comment.  
  
After they had finished their dessert, they walked home. The night was calm. The moon was full and a cool breeze blew about their skin as they cut through the park. Michael and Maria were holding hands as were Jim and Amy. Kyle, Ava and Rath walked slightly behind them, feeling kind of left out, though Rath seemed to be having a conversation with Faith through their link. Their link had grown almost as strong as Michael and Maria's. They could communicate telepathically and could feel each other's presence. They weren't talking in unison or sharing powers and personality, though. It was the same for Alex and Isabel as well. Liz figured it was just a prophecy thing since she and Max hadn't experienced it. Kyle could tell that there was some jealousy behind that, though.  
  
Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced through the dark night. Kyle looked up to see a demon standing in front of them. It was huge. About seven feet tall and…sharp looking. He had horns coming out of his ears and teeth the size of Mount Everest. From where Kyle stood, he could tell that his breath smelt like a rotting corpse buried in the sewer. The demon snarled at them. Amy buried her head in Jim's jacket. She was scared stiff, in fact, Jim looked almost as scared as she was, but not scared as much as he was shocked. Oh, yeah. He's never seen one before, Kyle thought.  
  
Immediately, Michael, Maria and Rath dropped into a fighting stance. Kyle looked across to Ava. She looked pale and she was trembling in fear. Kyle pulled her into a comforting hug. Well, one demon couldn't be that bad, Kyle thought. Within seconds, ten more demons surrounded them. Great.  
  
"Can't these demons look anything besides big ugly and stupid?" Maria asked Michael.  
  
"Guess not, baby," he replied.  
  
"Damn, and me without my battle ax, this won't be the same without it," Rath said, sarcastically. Maria looked around at the other demons. There were about fifteen in all. Most of them had weapons. Not good odds. She glanced at Rath. He nodded reassuringly. Faith was on her way. The three of them glared menacingly at the demons, daring them to attack.  
  
"Having a party?" Faith asked as she ran a sword through one of the demons. Green blood oozed from his wound as she shoved him off her sword. He fell down, dead.  
  
"Don't mind if we crash, do you?" Alex asked, beheading another.  
  
"Come on, Whitman, don't hog all the fun," Maria said as she punched one of them in the face. He growled and went to punch her. She ducked and tripped him. She grabbed his leg and twisted it the wrong way until she heard a satisfying crack and a howl of pain. Then, she snapped his neck.  
  
She got up and dusted off her jeans. "Any takers?"  
  
Alex tossed Kyle a set of keys.  
  
"My car is right at the end of the park, get them out of here," he said as he joined the fight. Kyle nodded and dragged the stunned adults and Ava towards the car. They drove off, unharmed.  
  
Alex swung his ax around and beheaded another demon. He blocked a punch from another and kicked him in the face. The demon's tooth broke and he howled in pain, but he kept coming at Alex. Another one snatched his ax from him and broke it in half. He then tripped Alex with a long stick and he landed flat on his back. Alex flipped back up and started punching and kicking with all his might, but the demons were too strong. All of a sudden one of them exploded. He looked past the falling slime to see his girlfriend standing there, smirking.  
  
"Need help?" she asked, pulling out a sword from god knows where. She'd brought reinforcements in the form of Buffy and Spike, which was a good thing since about ten more demons came out of nowhere and started attacking. They must have stumbled onto a nest.  
  
Isabel and Alex worked as a team fighting off the beasts, but somewhere along the line they got separated and Alex was cornered by an especially huge demon. He lost his weapon minutes ago and now had to fight with his bare hands. He tripped the demon and then broke his neck.  
  
"Alex! Look out!" Faith screamed.  
  
He spun around just in time to see a demon lowering a sword to his head. He closed his eyes, awaiting the pain of being beheaded that never came. He cracked one eye open and saw the back of one extremely confused demon standing before him, sword in hand. Quickly, he snatched the sword from him and ran it through his chest. He dropped to the floor.  
  
Alex sighed and looked around. He watched as Michael and Maria killed the last two demons. The park was now littered with dead bodies. He had no idea how they were going to explain this. At least with vampires, they clean up after themselves, but these demons didn't look like they were going anywhere.  
  
Suddenly, he was on the ground, flat on his back while a blonde girl kissed him frantically all over his face.  
  
"Oh, Alex, I almost lost you again!" she cried.  
  
"I'm okay, Izzy, I'm okay," he said, softly, stroking her hair.  
  
She smacked him on the arm. "Don't ever do that to me again."  
  
"I promise."  
  
Alex sat up with Isabel on his lap and looked around at his other friends.  
  
"Did anybody see how I did that?" he asked, " 'Cause that was cool as hell."  
  
"You were going to get your head chopped off and all of a sudden, you disappeared and then reappeared behind that thing," Faith said, amazed.  
  
"New wacky power for Geekman, huh?" Michael joked.  
  
Alex put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest.  
  
"Never fear, Geekman is here!"  
  
The teens laughed and walked to the Valenti household. They had a lot of explaining to do. Buffy and Spike went back home. They were not needed anymore, nor did they want to face explaining to parents.  
  
**********************************************************  
  
The old warehouse was being used once again. The candles burnt high and the silence was deafening. Lilah stood at the far end of the room as the first of many soldiers walked through the swirling vortex. The war would start soon. Khivar would soon kill the Royal fours, or what was left of them, and their various mates. She looked forward to that day. Maybe then she would be free of that royal pain in the butt. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

1.1 DISCLAIMER: I don't own 'em.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate it. This is really short, but here it goes…  
  
1.2  
  
1.3  
  
1.4 CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
  
Michael, Maria, Rath, Alex, Faith and Isabel sat in front of Amy and Jim Valenti that night. It was the about two hours since the attack and Amy had just come out of her shock induced silence. On a lighter day, Michael would say it was a miracle, but now, they were in some deep…well, they had a terrified mother to deal with. Michael was pretty sure they weren't going anywhere during the night, anytime soon.  
  
"So, what was that thing?" Amy asked finally. She had been pacing for close to half an hour and she now stopped in the middle of the living room in front of the nervous looking teens.  
  
"Uh…we're not exactly sure," Alex answered.  
  
"You're not sure?" she screeched, "So why did my daughter, her boyfriend, his brother, his girlfriend, her brother and his girlfriend feel confident enough to stand in the middle of a park in the middle of the night fighting them. You could have been killed! My baby would have died before she turned twenty."  
  
"I wouldn't have died," Maria murmured.  
  
"How do you know? You don't even know what those…things are!" she continued to rant, "They looked like…like they could eat you or something!"  
  
"Mom…"  
  
"Do your parents know about this?"  
  
"Mom…"  
  
"Maybe we should call the FBI about this…"  
  
"MOM!" Maria yelled. Amy shut up and looked at her.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thank you!" Maria said, "Okay, that thing was a demon of some kind, okay? I don't know what kind, but we'll just name it 'Slime Demon' to make you feel better. I know I can fight it because…"  
  
"Because what?"  
  
Maria sighed. "Because I'm the slayer, or at least one of the slayers."  
  
Amy looked at her for a minute. "Are you on drugs?"  
  
"I'm not on drugs, mom, it's true," Maria said. She got up and led her mother to a chair. "There's some poem thing about it, but basically, there's always one girl in the world that's chosen to fight vampires and demons etc."  
  
"Into each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers," Faith said, calmly.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about? Vampires aren't real. I may own an alien souvenir shop but I'm not stupid. Vampires are as real as aliens."  
  
Michael, Rath and Isabel smirked at each other. This did not go unnoticed by Amy.  
  
"Oh God, you're not going to tell me aliens are real, are you?"  
  
"Okay, we won't tell you," Rath said. Isabel elbowed him.  
  
"Of course not Mrs. Valenti," Isabel said in her best mother-pleasing voice, "But vampires and demons are real."  
  
"Okay," Amy said with a sigh, "say I do believe you, who chooses the slayer."  
  
They shrugged. "The Powers that be?" Faith said, "I don't know, this is really Giles' job…or Wesley…Buffy works, too, I guess."  
  
"Who-who are these people."  
  
"Giles and Wesley are watchers, don't ask it's a long story," Michael answered, "Buffy is a slayer, as well as Faith and recently Maria."  
  
"I thought you said it was one girl," Jim said. It was the first time he spoke.  
  
"Well, it was," Faith said with a sigh, "Okay, this is going to freak you out, so you better sit down, preferably together." They sat together on the couch. "Okay, when a slayer dies, another is called. Buffy died, like three or four years ago but her friend, Xander revived her. But in that time, another slayer was called; her name was Kendra. Then she died and I was called. Then, just before summer, Buffy died again, so then Maria was called, but her friends resurrected her so now there's three Slayers."  
  
"I think I need to lie down," Amy said after five minutes of staring at them in shock. Jim jumped up to help her to bed but she waved him off. "NO, honey, it's okay, just…threaten the boys into keeping my baby safe, okay. Do me proud." With that she retired up to her room. Jim waited until he heard her close the bedroom door before turning back to them.  
  
"Okay, now the truth," he said, eyeing them.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Maria asked.  
  
"I know there's more to this slayer story than you're letting on," he said, sternly, "now tell me."  
  
"Okay," Maria gave in. he would have to find out sooner or later. "The apocalypse is coming, again."  
  
"The apocalypse…wait, what do you mean, 'again'?"  
  
"There have been many prophecies…" Maria started.  
  
"On the impending doom of the world…" Michael continued.  
  
"So far, Buffy has been able to…"  
  
"Stop all attempts," Michael finished.  
  
"Though she almost caused one once," Faith interrupted. Jim looked at her, puzzled. "Oh, it's a long story involving lost souls and sex. You don't wanna know."  
  
"So…what does this have to do with now?" asked Jim, leaning forward.  
  
"Another prophecy," Alex answered, "He comes from light to bring darkness…or something like that. You really should consult Giles for these things."  
  
"Long story short, The Chosen are supposed to fight him, that's Michael and Maria, we think. They have four protectors, that's me, Faith, Alex and Izzy. The guy from the prophecy, we think he's Khivar, he also has protectors. So far we know two, Tess and Lonnie. Now, you're up to speed," Rath summed up, "You might want to pick your jaw up from the ground now, Jim."  
  
"K-Khivar…as in the Khivar that killed you in the other life?"  
  
"Yeah," Michael and Maria answered simultaneously. Jim nodded.  
  
"I think I'll go lie down now," he said, getting up.  
  
"You do that, dad," Kyle said, patting him on the back. When he left, they all turned to each other.  
  
"Well, that went well." 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

1.1 DISCLAIMER: Ah doh own dem.  
  
1.2 AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know, I know. I'm a bad author. *Hits self with a stick* I'll try not to leave it hanging like that again. Sorry!!  
  
1.3  
  
1.4  
  
1.5 CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
  
Bombs were dropping left right and center. Smoke billowed from the ground in large, poisonous clouds, engulfing the sky in its black hands. Fires burnt about the city. Civilians screamed and cried. The war was full fledged and more would die. The single planet had three parts, those for Zan, those for Rath and those for Khivar. The war for the kingdom was fast killing the planet. The King's army was weakening and it was most certain that Khivar would win the savage war. Already, the Queen had met her end and it was rumored that the Princess was against her brother and betrothed.  
  
Cortenia was afraid for her best friend, Rath, the king's second in command. He followed his king's orders and fought bravely, but she thought that soon, he, too, would be dead. She paced the length of her bedroom in worry. It had been so long since she'd heard from him…not since the night he heard that Nikaid was on Khivar's side. He was convinced that it was all his fault, and that she and her sister would be in danger if he hung around. They gave Khivar ammunition. Future collateral if need be.  
  
Their friendship was still, pretty much, a secret. The only ones that knew were them, Kaylanna and Nikaid. The fact that Nikaid knew was dangerous as it is, the fact that he was now the enemy made it lethal, for now, Khivar knew how to get to the general.  
  
Cortenia was pulled from her reverie by a frantic pounding at her door. She pulled it open to reveal a distressed Rath. He hurriedly closed the door behind him and pulled her into a hug.  
  
"You're okay!" he said into her shirt.  
  
"Yeah, I know," she said, she pulled away and looked at his face. There were tears cascading down his chiseled cheeks. His once lively hair lay grungy and flat atop his head. His face was covered in black soot. "What happened to you?" she led him over to the couch.  
  
"He's dead," he said, choking on a sob.  
  
"Who-who's dead?" she asked.  
  
"Zan, he's dead. They…k-killed him right in front my eyes."  
  
She shook her head and pulled him to her, letting him cry on her shoulder. He was losing the only family he had ever known and could do nothing to stop it. She rubbed his back.  
  
"It will be okay. You will win this war without him. It's not like he was much of a help anyway. I can help you fight…"  
  
"NO!" he shouted, pulling away, "I can't lose you, too. You're all I have left. I have to tell you something."  
  
"Rath, I don't think this is the time to confess the never ending love you have for me, but if you must, confess away," she joked. He laughed slightly.  
  
"Somehow I think your sister would enjoy that more than you," he said, with a small smile.  
  
"I think you are right. Pity though…"  
  
"Cort, I really need to tell you something. I am trusting you and only you. You mustn't tell anyone. Not unless it is absolutely necessary," he said seriously. She nodded. "The Queen. She's made clones…of me, Lonnie, Zan and Ava. She will send them to Earth to grow so that we may return and defeat Khivar. It is obvious that we will not win this war. You know it, I know it, our people know it, we will lose."  
  
"I don't understand, what does this have to do with me?" she asked. He pulled out a small vile of blue liquid. "What is this?"  
  
"It's a serum of sorts. The royal scientists discovered that this helps us to adapt to the atmosphere of Earth." He placed it into her open palm and closed it over the small object. "I want you to go with them."  
  
"But Rath…"  
  
"Go. You have to do this for me. I can't die knowing that I failed my whole family. You must go. Go to Earth."  
  
"But…"  
  
"I already gave one to Kaylanna. The ship leaves tomorrow. I have a man who will let you on secretly. Just give him your name and he should let you on. His name is Private Vardex."  
  
"But Rath…"  
  
"Please? For me?" he pleaded, "I cannot bear the thought of my best friend dead and I will surely die tonight, so please. Just take the formula an hour before you get on the ship. When you get to Earth, you will be safe…or at least safer than here."  
  
"I will."  
  
  
  
Maria Deluca walked into the kitchen on Saturday. It was the day after they were attacked by the demons and she was still waiting on a reaction from her mother. After the truth about her after school activities…well, besides the nookie, got out, her mother had retreated into the silent confines of her room. Now, it was about two o'clock in the afternoon and she finally came out to greet the world.  
  
Amy Valenti was sitting in the kitchen, in her bathrobe drinking coffee like a zombie. Her hair stuck out in all directions, much like Michael's did two years ago.  
  
"Mom?" Maria said, when she didn't acknowledge her presence. She looked up and tried to smile.  
  
"Oh, hi, baby. Do you want some breakfast?"  
  
"It's two o'clock, Mom," she said.  
  
"Right. I knew that. So, where are you going?"  
  
"I was going to meet Michael at Giles' for training."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Do you want to come? See what I do?"  
  
Amy smiled. "Of course. Then I can ream out this Giles for putting my baby in danger." Then, with a new determination, she went upstairs and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. Within ten minutes she was back downstairs and together they walked to Giles' house. It was only a few blocks away.  
  
When they got there, Maria unceremoniously walked through the door without even a knock and headed to the basement like she owned the place.  
  
Amy looked around in awe at the wide expanse of training equipment in the room. Teenagers were strewn about the gym and were either doing some form of martial arts or reading some cryptic looking books. An oldish looking man walked up to them, cleaning his glasses.  
  
"Hello, Maria," he said, warmly, "And who might this be?"  
  
"Giles, this is my mom. I had to tell her because we got attacked in the park last night. A whole butt load of demons," Maria said.  
  
"Oh, quite. Buffy told me about your little encounter. We are in the process of identifying the demons now. I assume you weren't harmed in any way?"  
  
"Ain't nothing wrong with me," she answered.  
  
"I swear, Maria, you're hanging out with Rath too much," Isabel said as she walked up to them, sipping her water.  
  
"That's 'cause nobody can resist this bod," Rath said from behind them. He had just arrived with Michael. Michael immediately left Rath's side and went over to his girlfriend. He kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his arm around her waist.  
  
"Mrs. Valenti, what are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"I brought her so she could see that we're prepared for anything the demons throw at us so she won't worry," Maria answered.  
  
"Any word on those demons yet?" Rath asked, walking over to his own girlfriend who was sitting on the bleachers, huddled over a book.  
  
"Nope," a short redhead answered, "Hi, I'm Willow." She put out her hand to Amy.  
  
"Amy Deluca-Valenti," Amy said shaking her hand.  
  
"Well, I guess this is welcome to the Scooby Gang," she said cheerfully, before heading back over to Tara.  
  
"See mom? Friendly people," Maria said, "Why don't you go sit in the bleachers and we'll show you whatever you want."  
  
Amy nodded and sat next to Willow.  
  
"Okay," Giles commanded, "Let's get started."  
  
And with that, the training began. There was sparing, yoga and a lot of gasping from Mrs. Valenti. They worked hard and fought well. Within an hour of the session, Amy cornered Giles and squeezed every last bit of detail of the life of a Slayer from him. The man looked quite scared. It was the Deluca charm. At about five o'clock, the training ended and everybody settled down to research the demon clan they stumbled onto. Even Michael and Maria buckled down and read. They couldn't very well make out in front of Maria's mother. At 7:30, Amy, Michael, Maria, Rath and Faith went back to the Valenti residence.  
  
"Jim, honey, I'm home!" Amy called as she walked in. there was the distinct sound of laughter coming from the living room. Female laughter. "Jim?"  
  
Amy, Maria, Michael, Rath and Faith walked into the living room to find Jim, Kyle and Ava sitting on the sofa across from an old woman. She had faintly blonde hair and a young demeanor.  
  
"Mom?" Amy said in surprise, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh, Amy is that any way to greet your own mother," the woman said, getting up from the comfy armchair. Maria instantly flung herself in her arms. The woman returned the hug with equal fervor. "Well, child, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"  
  
"Sure, grams. This is my boyfriend, Michael, his twin brother, Rath and his girlfriend, Faith," Maria said. She missed the look of recognition on the woman's face.  
  
"Could it be?" she whispered. Maria looked at her strangely. Since when did her grandma have an accent? "Rath and Ava. I should have known from the start," she said to herself. Everyone but Amy stiffened when she said this. She noticed. "Amy, could you make me some tea, please?" she asked sweetly. When Amy left to the kitchen, the woman hugged Rath tightly. Rath looked confused as ever.  
  
"Do I know you?" he asked, tentatively. She withdrew herself from his arms.  
  
"What, I can't give my best friend a hug? Heaven forbid big army man gets a hug. What ever will the soldiers think?" she said. There was a hint of recognition in Rath's eyes. He squinted at her.  
  
"Of course you don't recognize this face," she said. She held her hand in front of her and in a flash of light, she changed form. Her hair grew longer and her wrinkles lessened. She took on a younger figure. "Is that better?"  
  
Rath's eyes widened in delight. "Cortenia?" he said in disbelief before grabbing her and twirling her around. Everyone looked confused and Faith looked slightly jealous.  
  
"Anyone care to explain?" Michael asked. This woman looked just like Courtney, but she was dead, he was sure about that. Cortenia turned to look at him. She hugged him too, though briefly. She turned to Rath for an explanation.  
  
"He doesn't remember the past," he said, "This is Cortenia. She was my best friend on Antar."  
  
"But, I thought Zan was your best friend," Ava said, "I don't remember her."  
  
"That's 'cause you never met me," Cortenia answered, "Rath used to sneak from the palace every week to meet me. Since we were thirteen."  
  
"So, let me get this straight," Maria said, "You, grandma Deluca, are an alien? And you were my boyfriend's past life's girlfriend? Which means that I'm getting my grandmother's seconds."  
  
Rath and Cortenia looked at each other before bursting out in laughter.  
  
"Yeah right!" Rath exclaimed.  
  
"We were never together, just friends. Like you and Alex," Cortenia assured her, "Though that's a screwed up scenario if I ever heard one."  
  
"I think you better change back before mom gets back," Kyle warned from the couch. They had completely forgotten he was there. Cortenia quickly turned back to her original form and sat back in her chair as Amy came back in with the tea.  
  
"So, mom, what brings you here?" Amy asked as she seated herself on the couch.  
  
"What, I can't visit my favorite daughter and grand daughter? Heaven forbid you entertain your old mother for a day or two. Well, fine. A girl can take a hint," she said, teasingly. Rath smirked. Same old Cortenia.  
  
"Grams, you know that's not true," Maria said, "I so have to call Liz. We can have a girls' night. You know she totally misses Grandma Claudia, I'm sure she'll love it. Oh! And we can invite Izzy and Faith can come. You'll come right? Right. Come on Michael, we have ice cream to buy. Grams, you coming?"  
  
"Yeah, babes, right behind you," she answered, smiling. She turned to Amy. "I'll see you later. I assume you're coming."  
  
"Of course, I'll come to girls' night! I've not had one in ages. Jim, you and the boys can have boys' night or something. You're not invited," Amy said, "I better go get some movies. We'll meet back here at, what, 9:00?"  
  
"Okay, bye!" Maria called as she led her friends, lover and grandmother out the door. They all piled into Cortenia's brand new SUV and drove in the direction of the Food Giant.  
  
"So, what have I missed of your life, Rath?" Cortenia asked, looking at him through the rear view mirror.  
  
"Nothing much," Rath answered, "You?"  
  
"I kept my promise, you know. Stayed safe."  
  
Everyone else seemed lost but listened into the conversation anyway.  
  
"What about Kaylanna?" Rath asked.  
  
"I don't know, I mean, last I heard, she was developing an army here on Earth to protect you from Khivar's men. I last heard from her thirty years ago. She still had that youthful form, looked like she did back home, how we looked. I think she's still in love with you," she teased.  
  
"Her stalking abilities must be rusty if she hasn't found us yet."  
  
"Who?" Michael asked, finally fed up of being out of the loop.  
  
"My twin sister, Kaylanna," Cortenia answered, "she had a huge crush on you back home. I'm pretty sure she had a shrine somewhere."  
  
'Oh crap!' Michael thought to Maria.  
  
'You don't think she's…'  
  
"Courtney," Michael said aloud. The others turned to look at him.  
  
"What?" Rath asked.  
  
"Cortenia, I think your sister is dead," he said softly. Cortenia slammed on the brakes.  
  
"What!"  
  
"We stopped the harvest and killed all the husks. I rescued Courtney's, but it was premature. She was dying, so I told her where the Granolith was so that she could save herself. I just had the feeling that I had to protect her, you know," Michael said, his head down. He looked Cortenia in the eye, "Nicholas found her on the way to the Granolith. He was going to mind rape her to get the location, so she killed herself so he wouldn't get the info. I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't blame yourself," Cortenia said reassuringly, "She wouldn't want that. You tried to save her. You cared about her and that alone probably let her die a happy woman." She pulled into the parking lot of the Food Giant.  
  
They all got out of the car and went into the store. They picked up a large supply of ice cream, chips, cookies, popcorn and other snacks. On their way back, Cortenia dropped Michael and Rath back home. Valenti, Kyle and Sean were sitting in front of the front door with duffel bags.  
  
"Amy kick you out?" Michael asked, unlocking the door.  
  
"We can stay here, right?" Kyle asked. They nodded and dropped their bags on the counter as they piled in.  
  
"What'd you bring?" asked Rath, nodding to the bags in their hands.  
  
"Cards, poker chips and movies," Valenti answered.  
  
"Action?" Rath asked.  
  
"The only kind," Sean answered.  
  
"Body count?"  
  
"Very high."  
  
"My hero."  
  
  
  
"So, does mom know that you're, you know," Maria asked, waving her hand in the air, "Czechoslovakian?"  
  
Cortenia quirked an eyebrow. Amy had just gone to get pie for everyone so they took this opportunity to talk about the aliens. Cortenia shrugged.  
  
"Well…kinda. She knows some," she said, "she knows that she is different and that I am different. I tried to keep her away from this part of her life as much as possible. I wanted to keep her safe. Guess that went down the drain."  
  
"How did you keep things like that from her? What about her powers?" Isabel asked.  
  
"ESP. Hello, we're on Earth! A planet with all kinds of freaks and weirdoes. It's not that hard to pick a mutation and hand it over to somebody," Cortenia answered.  
  
"Why didn't we ever think of that?" Isabel wondered.  
  
"You're led by Zan. 'Nuff said."  
  
"What do you have against Zan?" asked Ava.  
  
"He's a useless piece of crap, where have you been?" at Ava's offended look, she continued. "You lived extremely sheltered lives back home on Antar. The only one of you that came out into the city prior to the war was Rath, and even then only at night. The cities were poor. This is not excusable for a planet that has a large marble palace. The state after the war was not much of a decline of conditions, really."  
  
"But…"  
  
"I know you must have memories of a beautiful planet with golden skies and a ruby sun, but that was just how it looked from the castle grounds. From the city, the sky was just a tease, showing us what beautiful was and how ugly we had it."  
  
The conversation ended as Amy returned with the chocolate pie. Cortenia looked on in disgust as Ava and Isabel drowned their pie in Tobasco sauce. She screwed up her face when Isabel offered her the bottle.  
  
"Yuck," she stated simply. Maria leaned over to her.  
  
"You don't like tobasco?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Have you ever seen me eat the stuff?" Maria shook her head. "It must be a hybrid thing."  
  
"So you don't have any quirks like they do?"  
  
"Of course I have quirks. Mine is mint…I'll have to explain the whole thing to you sometime."  
  
  
  
"Chug chug chug chug!" the guys chanted. Sean and Kyle were having a Coke drinking competition. They were lying back on the couch with two litre bottles of coke lodged in their mouths, liquid levels dropping as each fought to finish before the other. Finally, Kyle sat up and shouted in triumph, holding his bottle above his head. The Guerin twins cheered and high fived each other.  
  
Michael, Rath, Sean, Max, Zan, Kyle and Jim were having a grand old guys' night. They went through five bloody, explosion filled, high body count action flicks that their significant others, except for Sean, would never let them watch. It was heaven. They were now betting money on who could chug Coke the fastest. It would be beer, but the sheriff was present and the hosts were under age, on Earth at least.  
  
Michael walked up to Max and Zan to collect their money and then split it with his brother and the Sheriff. Jim chuckled.  
  
"Never bet against a Valenti, boys," he said, patting them on the back.  
  
"No way, rematch," Sean protested.  
  
"Give it up, Deluca, you lost. You're a loser. You should know this," Michael said.  
  
"Starting to sound like my cousin," he grumbled.  
  
"She speaks the truth, buddy."  
  
"Ugh. Whatever dude."  
  
"So, what do we do now?" asked Max.  
  
"Twin chugging competition?"  
  
"Bring it on, brother."  
  
  
  
As the night grew older and dawn approached, the floor became more and more littered with the limp bodies of the sleeping girls. The night had been fun and relaxing, with a touch of normalcy that had been missing in Roswell for some time, well, besides the fact that none of the twelve girls present were completely un-supernatural.  
  
At around four o'clock in the morning, it was down to two people awake and roaming. Maria and Cortenia took it upon themselves to remove the empty dishes and clean up a bit so that no one got impaled by a fork or something. After cleaning as best they could, they settled at the kitchen table. Maria put out two teacups and filled up a kettle with water.  
  
"No need for that, sweetie," Cortenia said, pouring the water straight into the cups. She waved her hand over the water and it immediately started to boil.  
  
"Right, you're a Czech," Maria said, shaking her head, "What kind of tea do you want?"  
  
"Mint."  
  
"Yeah, what's up with the dietary quirks. I mean, the mint thing I can handle. It's not that gross, but the others with the tobasco? Ew. Just ew."  
  
"I agree," Cortenia replied, "They really don't have a choice, though, if they're anything like me."  
  
"Why?" she asked, sitting across from her grandmother.  
  
"Okay, you know how Nicholas and friends can't survive down here?"  
  
"Yeah, something about the atmosphere. They're from another planet from you, though, right? Carnath?"  
  
"No. Not that I know of…as far as I know, they're Antarian."  
  
"Then why can you and Nasado survive without husks? And while we're at it, why couldn't Courtney survive without one?"  
  
"Okay, that requires a little background," she said, sipping her drink. "Okay, we have been traveling between Antar and Earth for many centuries. Long before the war began. Before, the only people who could get around here without husks were the Pyleans, and the Carnasians because their suns are closer to the intensity of radiation as that of Earth." Maria stared at her blankly. "Let's just say Pylea and Carnath are hotter that Antar and they can take the heat."  
  
"Makes no sense to me, but go ahead."  
  
"Okay, apparently, just before the war, the Royal scientists had a breakthrough. They discovered how to walk on Earth without the suits. A serum. They hadn't had a chance to test it properly, though."  
  
"The serum…well, I'm not too sure what it does exactly, but the mint seems to balance chemicals or something. After I was down here for a while, I began to get really worn out, had trouble breathing. The food tasted awful, like it was missing something. Then, I discovered that the mint helped with that. It's hard to explain, since I really don't know myself, but the mint is kind of like a booster or something. When the body needs something, it craves it. I'm guessing the same goes for the tobasco with the others. It helps the body handle the new atmosphere or genes…I don't know. I hate science."  
  
"You and me both. Leave Liz long enough and she'll probably figure out why."  
  
Cortenia chuckled. Liz, ever the scientist.  
  
"So, what about Courtney?"  
  
"She should be like me."  
  
"She wasn't. She was a skin."  
  
"Well, sometimes, things just aren't as they seem. There must be an explanation that she and she alone held."  
  
"So for all we know that wasn't her, just some random Michael worshipper coming to Roswell and stalking my Spaceboy?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
They finished their tea and headed back to the living room to turn in for the night…or morning, depending on how you look at it.  
  
  
  
Monday morning returned with a swift vengeance. The town's morning air was once again filled with the groans of students being forced out of bed into the world of school. Back at the Guerin-O'Conner apartment, a boy stood banging on the door with his fists.  
  
"Michael! Rath, Get the hell up!" he shouted. After five minutes of banging, the door flew open and a disheveled Rath stood glaring at him.  
  
"Kyle. It's 7:00 am," he stated, "Too damn early for you to be terrorizing us so you better have a good reason or I am going to bash you into the next century."  
  
"Okay," Kyle said, pushing his way into the apartment, "First off, it's Monday so you have to get up anyway." He walked into Michael's bedroom and smacked him over the head with the nearest pillow, then walked back out into the living room. "Secondly, it's your first day on the football team and coach wants to have a meeting before school." He turned back to the bedroom. "Guerin get the hell up!"  
  
"Damn football team," Rath grumbled. "I told you, I'm not joining."  
  
"And I told you you don't have to join cause you're already on it."  
  
"Damn it Kyle!"  
  
"Damn it Rath, you're on the team. Now shut up and get dressed. If we're late we get laps and I'm not doing laps for you guys again AND MICHAEL GET YOUR ALIEN TAIL OUT HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I COME IN THERE AND BEAT YOU DOWN!"  
  
Michael sauntered out of his room dressed in black jeans and a red T-shirt. He sat on the couch and started lacing up his boots. Rath muttered something under his breath about preppy Dupes and early mornings and went to his room to change.  
  
"Where's Maria?" asked Michael, the first thing he said all morning.  
  
"Sleeping."  
  
"Why am I not?"  
  
"Football meeting."  
  
"Ew."  
  
Kyle quirked an eyebrow. "Ew?"  
  
"Yes. Ew. Yuck. Blech. Are you sure I have to go?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure, but you need to stop talking like that. You'll embarrass me."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like Maria."  
  
"I do not talk like her."  
  
"Yeah you do."  
  
"No I don't"  
  
"Do."  
  
"Don't."  
  
"Do."  
  
"Nuh-uh."  
  
"See? There. Maria thing to say."  
  
"Whatever, chia head stalker boy."  
  
"Continue to delude yourself."  
  
Michael glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest. Rath walked in dressed in the usual black on black and they left for school with Rath in Kyle's Mustang and Michael on his motorcycle.  
  
By the time they got to the field the rest of the team was already gathered. The other guys greeted Kyle as one of their own and regarded Michael and Rath curiously.  
  
"Hey Valenti. Why'd you bring those two?" asked Paulie.  
  
"Coach's orders," he stated simply.  
  
A loud whistle silenced the team. In front of them, stood the coach in all his beer-bellied glory. The team instantly gathered around the man. He stood with is hands on his hips, eyeing each of his boys.  
  
"As you all know, last game we lost two of our players, Moore and Johnson. I have just recruited their temporary replacements. Meet your new team mates, boys, Michael Guerin and Rath O'Connor." The boys clapped and a few of them patted them on the back. "Okay, so, practice will be at the regular time, at three o'clock. Don't miss it. You can go now. Guerin and O'Connor stay back."  
  
The coach led the twins to his office just off the side of the football field. He sat behind his desk and gestured for them to take a seat. They complied.  
  
"Okay, kids, get this straight. This is not gym class. You cannot just duck any chance you get. This is a real team. That means that other people are affected by what you do. Now, I expect you to work hard and help carry the Comets to another victory. If you don't, believe me, you will feel my wrath, not to mention you won't be graduating with your class. Be here before practice to collect your pads and cleats. You'll get a jersey later. Any questions? Okay, get out now."  
  
Michael and Rath walked out of his office as the first bell rang to signal the beginning of school. They didn't even miss first period.  
  
  
  
Michael hummed along to the song playing on his Walkman as he painted in the art room. It was his free period and he had a painting to do for his art class. He frowned at the picture. Something wasn't right. He quickly looked around, then erased the paint with his powers. He dabbed his paintbrush into the blue paint and continued to stroke the canvas.  
  
He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't hear the bell ring, nor did he see when Alex entered the room. Alex stood behind his friend and studied the picture. It seemed to be a sunset, but the colors were all wrong. The sun was blue and the sky was purple with a tinge of green and pink. In the background stood a tall castle with blue walls. A young woman sat outside the castle walls watching as a little boy played out in the garden.  
  
Alex pulled the headphones away from Michael's ear and tried to figure out what he was listening to. Michael spun around, startled.  
  
"You know you're listening to *Nsync, right?"  
  
Michael eyebrows furrowed as he realized what he was doing. He frowned and turned off the music, disgusted with himself.  
  
"So, is that Antar?" Alex asked quietly.  
  
"No, Carnath."  
  
Alex pointed to the woman. "Your mom?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You think she's still alive?"  
  
"Probably not," Michael answered sadly. He took the picture off the easel and carried it over to the drying corner. "What are you doing here, Whitman? You don't have art now."  
  
"Yeah, I do. The bell rang ten minutes ago."  
  
"Oh. Okay." Michael wiped his hands on his jeans. "What do I have now?"  
  
"How should I know, I'm not your girlfriend." Michael raised an eyebrow. "You have History."  
  
Michael groaned. Great. The most boring class ever created. Maybe he could duck…  
  
"Don't even think about ducking class," Alex warned, setting up his canvas.  
  
Michael muttered under his breath about geeky rock star wannabes and stalked off to class. The halls were empty, his boots making the only sound. He paused as the hair on the back of his neck stood at attention. Someone was watching him. He looked around the hallway, brown eyes searching all the corners.  
  
"I must be going crazy," he mumbled, shaking his head. He shoved his hands in his pockets and continued his stroll, though at a quicker pace, to his history class.  
  
A figure appeared from behind a locker, an evil smirk on its face. It watched Michael's retreating form until he was out of sight, then turned and walked out of the school. The end would come soon, and Khivar would reign supreme. 'Twas only a matter of time.  
  
  
  
Michael sat on the bench at the side of the football field, watching the game. He watched as Kyle was run over by the opposing team, the only movement coming from his trampled body was slow waving of his middle finger. Michael smirked. Even though he was out for the count, Kyle still found a way to get his message across.  
  
"Looks like one of us has to go out, little bro," Rath said, suddenly appearing at his side.  
  
Just then, the coach stalked up to them, his face red with anger. His star Quarterback was injured beyond belief. He wouldn't be able to play again for the season and the championship was next week.  
  
"Guerin, O'Connor, get out there," he yelled.  
  
Michael and Rath picked up their helmets and began to jog out to the field. The coach pulled Michael back by his head gear.  
  
"Red 32 roundabout," he said, before shoving him back in the direction of the field, giving him a slap on the butt. Michael regarded him strangely before getting in the huddle.  
  
"SO, what's the play, baby bro?" asked Rath.  
  
"Don't call me that," Michael growled, "Red 32 roundabout, whatever that means."  
  
"Don't you remember? That's when the two big X's run along the edge of the line of O's and knock out the big O, then the X's do a crossing pattern…"  
  
Michael nodded like he knew what the hell Paulie was babbling about.  
  
"Break!" the team shouted, getting into position.  
  
"Red 32! Red 32!" Paulie called. "Hike Hike!"  
  
Paulie passed the ball from under his butt into Michael's hands. Michael tucked it under his arms and ran for the endzone, dodging football players left and right. It seemed that the endzone wasn't getting any closer to him and he was sure he had been running for hours. He turned back to the football players barrreling over to him, then started running faster.  
  
Sweat poured down his face and his breathing became labored as his eyes searched for the end of his run. He turned back to find the players with large football heads chasing him down.  
  
Suddenly, the ball in his arms started to squirm. He looked down to see a live pig squealing, trying to get away from him. He dropped it in his surprise and it rolled down the field behind him. The football players snatched the pig and fought over it, ripping it to shreds. In his distraction, he tripped over a big ditch in the middle of the field.  
  
The football monsters were baring down on him as he scrambled back on his hands. The biggest, number 15, jumped on him, trapping him in his claws as his football head opened up to reveal a row of large, sharp teeth. Michael screamed as his head was devoured by a football.  
  
Michael gasped as he sat up in bed. He was wet with sweat and he was shivering slightly. That was one weird freaky dream. He knew this football thing was a bad idea.  
  
"Baby? What's wrong?" a voice asked from next to him. Maria sat up on the other side of the bed, clutching a blanket to her naked chest.  
  
"I-it was a nightmare," he said, "You know, the usual football chasing me down a field."  
  
"Aw, poor baby," Maria cooed. She smoothed his hair with her hand and leaned in for a kiss.  
  
Michael closed his eyes and kissed her back with vigor. His tongue was happily dueling with hers when he felt something sharp digging into it. He pulled away and opened his eyes to reveal a Maria sized football sneering at him from beneath him.  
  
"Michael don't wanna play?"  
  
The football sat up suddenly and pulled him down for a kissed that was so bruising, his lips started to bleed. He struggled to pull away, but the football monster's grip was too firm…  
  
Michael shot out of his bed, gasping for his lost breath, and searching the room for hidden, man-eating footballs. As he fought to catch his breath, he noticed his hands shaking. Oh, he would get Valenti for this. He ran a hand through his hair, then headed for the shower.  
  
  
  
The next day at school, the sun shone brightly in the sky, its yellow rays warming the cool morning air. Fall was upon them and already the desert was cooling down. It didn't look like they were going to get a heatwave this yar, which was a disappointment for some. Michael and Rath walked slowly up the path leading to the Penitentary aka West Roswell High school. Across the lawn, teenagers were sitting around, avoiding going inside for as long as possible. He looked around and soon spotted his friends at their usual table. They were both surprised that Faith was there, but it was too early in the morning for them to care beyond that. They plopped down on the bench as they normally did, Michael next to Maria and Rath next to Faith.  
  
"Morning Michael, Rath," Isabel said sunnily. They both regarded her suspiciously.  
  
"Izzy, what are you up to?"  
  
"I just wanted to apologise for laughing at you because of your…misfortunes."  
  
"And…"  
  
"And, I wanted to give you this to show you how sorry I am." She reached into her bag and tossed a football at Michael. Michael shrieked and dropped it as if it burned his skin.  
  
"Michael?" Maria said, worriedly, touching his arm.  
  
He flinched away and jumped out of his seat.  
  
"Uh, it's nothing, I just…have to go to art. See ya." He turned and scurried off into school.  
  
"What's up with him?" asked Max.  
  
"Who knows," Isabel said nonchalantly, hiding a smile.  
  
Beneath the table, she slapped Ava a five. That was so sweet.  
  
********************* 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
  
Back at Giles' Slayer Mansion, the group was trying to figure out Alex's sudden appearance of powers. They assumed it wasn't the same as when Maria gained powers because Isabel didn't have the power to teleport. Alex stood in the middle of the room with his eyes closed, while everybody sat in a circle around him.  
  
"Did I move yet?" he called, eyes still closed.  
  
"Does breathing count?" Xander asked.  
  
"Damn it, this sucks! I finally get a cool super human power and it doesn't even work!"  
  
"Maybe you're trying too hard," Liz suggested.  
  
"Yeah maybe," Alex said dejectedly. He really wanted to have a special power. Maybe then he'd be worthy of Isabel.  
  
"Hey Alex!" Rath yelled.  
  
"What?" said Alex. As he turned, the first thing he saw was big blue ball of light flying towards his chest. Alex screamed and shut his eyes, waiting for impact. When he didn't feel anything, he cracked his eye open and glanced around. The room looked different from when he closed them. He was now standing behind Isabel. Everyone looked around the room in awe while Rath had a smug smirk on his face.  
  
"See? I fixed it," Rath said.  
  
"Rath! You damaged my training room!" Giles exclaimed, getting up to inspect the back wall, which currently had a hole in it.  
  
"Don't sweat it, pops," said Zan. He waved his hand over the wall and it was good as new.  
  
"Alex, are you all right?" Isabel asked, worriedly, checking him over with her eyes.  
  
He kissed her forehead, gently. "Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"Good." She kissed his lips softly before getting up and heading over to Rath, who was still smirking. She slapped him upside the head.  
  
"Ow! What was that for?"  
  
"You nearly hurt Alex!"  
  
"He's fine. I knew he would be," Rath said, still rubbing the back of his head. "An army cannot be trained with pillows. There's got to be little dangers here and there. Besides, I could've healed him if he didn't move."  
  
"Thank you for that little army tidbit," she said sarcastically. "Shoot at my Alex again and there'll be hell to pay," she growled.  
  
"No prob."  
  
Isabel huffed and sat back next to her boyfriend, cooing at him and touching him gently. Kyle watched the exchange with a little envy. He nudged Rath, who was sitting next to him.  
  
"Think you could shoot at me too?" he asked. Rath chuckled and shook his head. It wouldn't work. You needed to have a girl first to get the TLC.  
  
"Well. I think that is enough training for the day," said Giles, finally. "Go home, I'll see you tomorrow, I'm sure."  
  
The Pod Squad got up from their seats and set off to their various homes, leaving the Scooby Gang to think about this new power that Alex seemed to acquire.  
  
"Maybe it's a prophecy thing?" Buffy suggested as they sat in the living room.  
  
"Perhaps," said Giles. "Perhaps it is something else."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"That, we'll have to figure out." He sighed. "I keep thinking of the prophecy. The part where they say that the protectors have been on the line of good and evil."  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"We understand Isabel because of her past life with Vilandra. She was evil in her past life, but is good now. She walks the line."  
  
"Plus she has a mean streak a mile long," Xander commented.  
  
"Faith was a fighter for good, but she turned to the dark side when she joined with the mayor. She also walks the line."  
  
"Where are you going with this?" asked Willow.  
  
"Just.follow my line of thinking." Giles pulled off his glasses and started cleaning them. "Rath has been on the line also, though not much. He was, for a short time, on Lonnie's side. An evil alien. He walks the line, too."  
  
"But how does Alex walk the line?" Willow asked, seeing where he was going.  
  
"As far as we know, Alex is good. He always has been. It seems he always will be," Giles said.  
  
"So, maybe the prophecy is wrong?"  
  
"Perhaps. Or maybe there are things that we do not know. Things that we need to put into consideration. Is Alex really a protector? Or just another warrior?"  
  
"Remember when the New York crew first came to town?" Dawn said. "They said he was being mindwarped into helping Tess. Maybe that makes him walk the line."  
  
"Yes. Possibly. I will have to study it further. In the meantime, we mustn't tell them anything. We needn't any tension or doubts within the ranks. For this war to be won, we must makes sure everything goes smoothly. No more questions between them. This discussion stays between us, understood?"  
  
They all nodded then went their separate ways.  
  
A full moon shone outside as a dark figure walked away from the window.  
  
*******************************************  
  
"Everyone, we have an announcement to make," Anya stated.  
  
It was twelve o'clock on a Sunday and everyone was gathered in the living room of the Slayer Central. It was the beginning of October. The Scooby Gang had been back in Roswell for an entire month. That's the longest that house had been inhabited by them.  
  
All the individual conversations ended as everyone looked to where the ex- demon and her human boyfriend sat.  
  
"Xander and I are getting married!" Anya announced, happily.  
  
The girls squealed and rushed over to congratulate Anya and Xander. The guys just, sort of sat there in shock.  
  
"This is so great!" Isabel gushed, "So, when is it? What are you going to wear?"  
  
"Xander said I get to pick, so I pick.December first!"  
  
"Oh my God! That only gives us two months to plan everything!" Isabel exclaimed.  
  
"Great, the Christmas Nazi comes around early," Michael muttered under his breath. Max, Kyle and Alex groaned.  
  
"What's the Christmas Nazi?" asked Spike.  
  
"Every Christmas, Izzy goes crazy planning the perfect most anally organized Christmas for Roswell, and wreaks terror upon us poor unsuspecting friends," Michael said.  
  
"I heard that!" Isabel called from across the room.  
  
"Be prepared for lots and lots of work," Kyle muttered.  
  
Max looked over to where Isabel was making big gestures with her hands and talking a mile a minute.  
  
"This is going to be the longest two months ever."  
  
  
  
The Crashdown was crowded as was usual after school on a Friday. Teenagers from all over Roswell parked their carcasses in the circular booths of the most popular restaurant in Alientown, USA. The waitresses were in pain from walking around in those little green dresses with the bobbing antennae for hours on end. The cooks sweat in the back above the fiery grills of death and scorching heat. Young parents came in with their four-foot tall brats in tow just waiting to drench the overworked employees in smoothies and drinks of all flavors.  
  
UFO nuts came in from far and wide to investigate the theories and conspiracies surrounding a crash, which took place fifty-four years ago. Their eyes shining behind thick rimmed glasses as the antennaed waitresses showed them photos of their beloved aliens and chuckled as they proceeded to describe an alien, knowing full well that whoever wasn't alien on the staff had at least dated one.  
  
Some of the nuts spoke of the evil intent of such aliens. The intent to take over the world one step at a time. Others spouted theories that the government was their greatest enemy. Ah, Convention time again. It was almost time for the Crash festival. A time for Alien loser freaks from all over the world to preach the high truth; that aliens do exist, for the unbeliever. A belief, that unbeknownst to the normal some, was quite true.  
  
Some think that the thing that man should fear most is the alien and the thing that the alien should fear most was the FBI. Little do they know that the very thing that should strike terror into all men's hearts just walked through the front door.  
  
"Hey Isabel," greeted Liz Parker, tiredly. Today had been a hard day. A really hard day.  
  
"Hey, Liz. Is Michael here?" she asked with a smile while looking behind the petite brunette for her surrogate brother. She could have sworn she just saw a mass of brown hair dash across the kitchen window. The sound of Maria's laughter as she walked out of the back room confirmed it. The chicken ran away.  
  
"He ran, didn't he?" Isabel asked, already knowing the answer. "Damn it! I need somebody to go get the dress designs from Adrean's Wedding Gallery for me. I can't find the guys anywhere!" She shook her head, arms flailing about. Behind her, Alex and Kyle walked right back out the Crashdown doors. "I try to give them one little task and they run! I have so much work to do! I have designs to choose, flowers to arrange, menus to look over. But is anybody helping? No!" she stamped her foot in frustration. "Tell your damn boyfriends and mine that if they don't get off their damn lazy butts right now they will really see the Wedding Nazi. Don't think I don't hear them when they call me that." She spun on her heel and stalked out of the restaurant.  
  
'Sucks to be you!' Maria thought to Michael, chuckling to herself.  
  
  
  
"I say it's time we take a stand!" Alex said enthusiastically.  
  
Michael, Rath, Zan, Max, Kyle, Alex and Spike were all seated in Michael and Rath's apartment, the new guy headquarters. They were planning a mutiny against the evil Wedding Nazi. They'd been chased, overused and confused for way too long. It wasn't their wedding. It was Xander's. What did they care if it wasn't perfect. It was only one day.  
  
"You sure you want to take an active part in this?" Kyle asked, "I mean, she's your girlfriend. She could always hold out on you."  
  
Alex faltered briefly. "If it goes to the cause," he said finally, "I'm not a slave, and damn it, I'm tired of going in flower stores. The store clerk keeps checking me out."  
  
"Mr. Jamieson?"  
  
"The one and only," said Alex with an involuntary shudder.  
  
"That guy is creepy to the extreme," said Michael. The guys stared at him.  
  
"Are you sure we can't fix him?" asked Kyle.  
  
"Shut up, chia."  
  
Kyle rolled his eyes. "So, what do we do?"  
  
"We go on strike," said Spike.  
  
"And if that doesn't work?"  
  
"We keep running."  
  
"Good plan."  
  
*********************************************  
  
It was now the middle of October when Michael, Rath and Kyle got an easy out earlier than expected. It was football season and The Comets were going to their first out-of-town game for the season with their new additions. The coach was pleased with his new team members. They were fast, strong and could take out any full back on his team, not to mention they didn't get distracted by cheerleaders. He would have thought they played on the wrong end of the field if it wasn't for their supportive and over-protective girlfriends.  
  
The team gathered at the front of West Roswell High School early Friday morning, before school started. Thirty jocks stood outside in the cool desert air of Roswell New Mexico awaiting the arrival of the bus.  
  
In a corner, away from the crowd stood two people, a team member and his girlfriend. Michael Guerin had his girlfriend wrapped in his arms as they said goodbye.  
  
"Can't I just take my bike? It'd be easier, I could leave when I want and I won't be in danger of catching the bonehead disease," Michael complained.  
  
"You haven't caught it yet, you're probably immune," she laughed. Just then, the bus drove up. "We'll meet you there, okay? We're driving up in the Giles' new minivan and Max's Jeep. We'll reach a few hours after you." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Good luck. Don't do any cheerleaders, or I'll kick your butt," she joked.  
  
He laughed slightly, gave her a deep kiss, then sulked all the way to the bus. Michael made his way to the back of the bus and sat by the window, next to his twin brother and Kyle. Michael and Rath stared out the window at Maria and Faith who were waving enthusiastically. They snickered when they started blowing over-dramatic kisses and wiping away fake tears. They turned back to the front when Maria and Faith disappeared from their view.  
  
"Okay, team," said coach from the front of the bus. "We have a ten hour bus ride ahead of us, so get comfortable. Tomorrow night, we are going to trample the Arizona Rattlesnakes!"  
  
The team cheered and howled. Michael and Rath rolled their eyes.  
  
Five miles into the trip was when the singing started. It started with only the group in front, then spread like wild fire until the whole bus, minus the aliens, were singing.  
  
"Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer!" the team sang, "Take one down, pass it around, ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall!"  
  
"You're kidding right?" Rath grumbled. Michael grunted and stared out the window.  
  
~Three hours later~  
  
"Twenty seven bottles of beer on the wall, twenty seven bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, twenty six bottles of beer on the wall."  
  
Michael rubbed his temples with his fingers.  
  
~Three hours later~  
  
"Picture a jockey all dressed in red. Fell off his saddle and busted his head," they sang, "And there was blood on the saddle, blood on the ground. A great big splash of blood all around."  
  
Rath banged his head on the seat in front of him, while Michael used the window, sure that it would work faster.  
  
"Seventh verse, same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse! Picture a jockey all dressed in red."  
  
"Somebody kill me now," Rath groaned.  
  
"Ditto."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Khivar sat behind a big mahogany desk while she stood nervously in front of him, a stack of papers in her hand. His spy was perfectly unsuspectable. She was completely innocent looking and unassuming. The four wouldn't notice her if she stood right in front of them. She was able to spy on them without being caught or suspected. At least Nikaid could do something right.  
  
"What do you have on them?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Nothing much, sire," she said, softly, "The Seconds have left their charges alone in Roswell. The kings seem to be comfortable in their wait. They do not know that I am here. The princess is still bedding the boy. The Queen is still with the king. Their training sessions have become sparser. It appears that they are comfortable and assume they are safe, my lord," she summed up. "Here is a full report of my observations."  
  
Khivar took the folder and flipped through the pages of writing and pictures.  
  
"Very well. You are dismissed."  
  
The spy bowed before scurrying out of the office.  
  
"Will we be attacking, my lord?"  
  
"No, Nikaid. Not yet," Khivar reprimanded. "Have you no sense of honor? We cannot just attack when their forces are weakened and their protectors are away. We must wait until they are comfortable in their ways. All of them. The General must be there." He stood up and walked to the window. "The victory is sweeter when the spirit is broken. A protector must do just that. Protect. And a warrior must fight. A great warrior, a great general, fights valiantly, always protecting his king. If the king dies under his care, he is useless. His whole army is in his hands. He controls the outcome of war by how well he trains the men and how well he protects his people. If all his people die, his spirit dies as well." Khivar turned to his Second-in-Command. "You are a good soldier, but General you are not. Rath is a general through and through. His instincts are good and his protectiveness is great. He does not merely follow orders, he gives them, and he has the ability to win a war with little casualties." He smirked. "If it wasn't against me, of course." He walked over to Nikaid and sat at the edge of the desk. He ran his hands through his long dark hair, taking it from his cold gray eyes. "A warrior like that has a strong spirit. A spirit that threatens. We must destroy it. Completely. That is why we must wait until they return. They must be there to witness their failure first hand. We must smite them down." He slapped the table with his hand. "Now get away from me. Train the troops and send me Vilandra. We have business to attend to."  
  
Khivar sat back in his comfortable leather office chair. Wolfram and Hart really catered to his comfort. He would have to be sure to reward them once he takes the planet.  
  
*********************  
  
The school day seemed to drag on for Maria Deluca. The teachers droned on and on about whatever subject they were teaching and the clock seemed to taunt her by moving extremely slowly. She couldn't wait for the day to end so she could drive up to meet her Spaceboy. The day hadn't been the same without him. There were no trips to the Eraser Room and no sneaking around the bleachers during History class. All she had to entertain her was Liz. If only the next five minutes would move faster. She was tapping her pencil against the desk in boredom as her Biology teacher droned on about the transport system of plants when the bell finally rang to signal the end of school for the day. She shoved all her books in her bag and rushed out of the room. She jogged past all the classrooms and jumped into the Jetta, heading towards Giles' house to pick up the minivan. As much as she loved her Jetta, it was just not trustworthy enough for a road trip to Arizona. She screeched into the Valenti-Deluca driveway, then ran out of the car and down the street to Slayer headquarters. "Come on, guys, let's go!" she yelled as she came through the door. She walked further into the house and into the living room. There, Anya sat with Buffy, Willow and Tara looking at dress designs. "Hey, Maria!" Willow greeted brightly. "Come, help us choose a design. Anya's narrowed it down to twenty styles for the bride and fifteen for the bridesmaids." "I can't! Don't you remember? Football? Spaceboy? Me, taking car, going on roadtrip? Y'all coming for support? Let's go. Chop chop. Hurry up!" "Maria, calm down. The game isn't 'til tomorrow. Michael isn't going anywhere. We just have to wait until the others get here," Willow said calmly, "Take a seat." Willow waved her hand in Maria's direction. Maria floated over to the couch in the middle of the room, then plopped down. "Oops. Sorry. Still working on that." Maria grumbled under her breath and scowled.  
  
**********************************************************  
  
The sun had just set when they finally arrived at Tucson, Arizona. The twins were irritated out of their minds from the ride up. The team hadn't stopped singing until they were 20 miles away from their destination. Actually, they didn't even stop of their own accord. Rath decided to put an end to it when they started singing "The Song that Never Ends" after the third rest stop. Apparently, rest stop translated into an annoying song change. Though Rath had never heard the song before, he was sure it would kill what little sanity he had left, so he decided to try to put the whole bus (minus the driver, of course) to sleep. That gave them about half an hour of sleep before the driver drove straight into a huge pothole, jolting the bus and waking its inhabitants. Let's just say Rath was not too happy. Now, they were all standing in the lobby of the hotel that the school provided for the team. The coach was calling out room numbers and roommates. Michael and Rath got paired together since they didn't get along with anyone on the team besides Kyle. "Now, most of you know the drill. For those who don't lights out at ten. No cheerleaders and no beer. Got that?" The coach looked around as everyone nodded. "Good. You are dismissed. Nobody get lost. If you want to lose yourself, wait until after the big game." The team went in their different directions. Some heading out to town to check out the nightlife, others going to their rooms to watch porn on TV. "What do we do now?" asked Rath as he, Michael and Kyle walked back to their room. "Faith and Maria are miles away. They're not getting here now, and there's no way I'm going anywhere with those other guys." "We could go out on the town. Check out the chicks," Kyle suggested. "Right. And have Maria beat me down? I don't think so," said Michael. He glared at Kyle when he made a whipping motion complete with sound effects. "I'm not whipped." "You so are." "Ugh. Whatever. Let's just go watch TV," he paused. "Or." "What? Or what?" asked Rath as he opened the room door and walked in. "We could go visit Laurie." "Who?" "Laurie Dupree. My.well I guess our sister.sort of." "Oh, you mean that crazy chick that got dad fired?" "Yeah." "Who are we talking about?" Rath asked confused. "Earlier this year, we found Laurie buried in Frasier woods. Somebody was after her and she was really freaked out. So, we started investigating her and guess what we found." "What?" "Her grandfather looked exactly like us. He's our human donor. You know, for the DNA to make us." "So.she's our grand daughter, kind of." "We think that's too creepy, so we're calling her my sister." "Gotcha." "She's rich, right?" Kyle asked. "Yeah." "She's got a pool and a big screen, right?" Kyle probed. "Yeah." "Let's go. Tell her to invite some of her hot rich friends, too," Kyle said excitedly. Michael scowled. "Fine. Let's just go visit your 'sister'. It's not like we have anything better to do." Michael nodded and picked up the phone to call Laurie.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
The next day, the coach had the team run laps around the new football field. To get accustomed to the new grass, he had said. Michael was convinced that he just enjoyed annoying people. The rest of the gang hadn't arrived until late that night after lights out, so he was still kind of pissed about that. He had to do without his Maria for a whole entire day. Top that off with laps at 8:00 am and he was not a happy Czechoslovakian. Rath was in a similar mood. The only one of them that was even slightly happy was Kyle. He and Laurie had hit it off, much to the chagrin of Michael and Rath. They took the whole brother role seriously and immediately began the protect the innocent sister from other men routine. Laurie thought it was cute, but not when she was trying to mack on their cute friend. Michael looked around at his surroundings as he ran. Tucson High School was a big place. The building itself was a light blue color. Around the windows, was a lining of dark blue, which matched the lettering at the side of the building. The front courtyard was covered in crisp green grass, with dark green hedges. The football field was much like the field at West Roswell High, with white bleachers surrounding it. "Okay, men," the coach called from the sidelines. "I want you to relax today. You need to be rested for the game tonight. Meet here at 6:00. Any later and you'll have extra laps when we get back." He glared at them all. "No drinking while we're here. No over partying. No pissing off other players by stealing their girl. Got it? You can go now." The team dispersed, some heading into town while others went back to the hotel. Michael, Rath and Kyle headed back to the hotel to wait for the others. When they entered the twins' room, they were surprised to find the others already there. "How'd you get in?" asked Kyle. Isabel wiggled her fingers in response. "Right. Alien voodoo powers. Should have known." Rath and Michael immediately went to their respective girlfriends, pulling them into deep sucking kisses. "Ahem!" Isabel said, trying to get their attention. "Rath! Michael!" Again, they ignored her. Giving up on being nice, she pulled a pillow from the bed and started whacking them on the head. "Hello! Other People in the room here!" They jumped apart. "God, Izzy!" Maria cried. "Well, you weren't listening," Isabel said, calmly putting the pillow back in place and neatening the bed. "So, what do you guys want to do?" "Let's go explore. I didn't get to look around the last time I was here," Maria said, sitting on Michael's lap. "Shopping?" Isabel said. "Of course," Buffy said. The guys groaned. Shopping with Isabel Evans was almost as fun as pulling out toenails. It was one of the more evil forms of torture. Right between eye gouging and ball twisting. They'd be lucky to escape alive, let alone sane.  
  
*********************************************************  
  
At six o'clock on the dot, the West Roswell High football team started filing in to the locker room at the left side of the football field. Clothes were strewn around the small room as the boys dressed for the game. A few minutes later, the coach walked into the locker room and waited to be acknowledged. When he had the full attention of his boys, he began to talk. "We had a near perfect season last year and I expect us to do the same this year. The Rattlesnakes have defeated us for the past five years. It is time to end the cycle and take the games. We will not be beaten by them again." The team nodded their heads. "I want you to go out there and show 'em that The Comets will not be stopped by anyone. We'll show them we are the best desert team in this circuit. We have strength and strategy and we know how to use it." The coach was pacing in front of them now. "You know what to do, men. Win this game for me, for the school, for yourselves. Make it as clean as you can. If you have to play dirty, do it hard and make it worth it. I want to see touchdowns, men. Only from our side. We have to show them that we are the best on our field and we are the best on any other field in America! Are you with me?" "Yeah!" they team yelled. "You better be! I want to see a win. I want West Roswell High to get the football trophy it deserves!" The team cheered. "Now go out there and win this thing!" The team cheered again, then ran out of the room towards the field. The crowd was huge. One half of the field wore red to support them while the other side wore blue to support the Rattlesnakes. Next to their entrance stood the cheerleading squad, dressed in little red dresses with yellow trimming. Their mascot, a big green alien, was dancing around, waving a silver ray gun around in a shiny red suit. Michael looked around the crowd as he took his place on the bench. Finally, his eyes fell on his girlfriend. She was standing there, waving at him, wearing a pair of tight jeans and a red sweater. Next to her stood Laurie, Faith and the rest of the gang. Each wore the team colors in some way shape or form. He chuckled to himself and shook his head at that thought. Who would have thought that his group of friends would get into school spirit? Who would have thought he would be on the football team with his brother? It was unnatural. He was pulled out of his reverie by the coach's whistle. The game was about to start. They were playing offense, so he and Rath weren't needed yet. They watched as the game started. The Rattlesnakes were pummeling the Comets. Player after player was being crushed into the ground by the ferocious linebackers. Injuries were being dished out like food at an all you can eat buffet. By half time, half the team was moaning and groaning in pain, while the other half dreaded their playing time. The coach was ranting and raving in fury about unfair referees and obvious steroid overdose. Michael and Rath just carried on telepathic conversations with their girlfriends. Kyle had been a part of the offense team and was one of the first to go down. The Rattlesnakes knew a star quarterback when they saw one and went for the jugular first. They knew that Kyle was the team's best player last year and would most likely be the best this year, too. "Okay," the coach was saying, "Guerin, O'Connor, I want you to take out number 13 and number 6. They are the most dangerous right now. They took out most of my best players." 'Are you kidding?!' Maria screamed in Michael's head, 'Those guys are huge!' Michael cringed a little at the tone of Maria's voice. It was enough to break glass. 'It'll be okay,' Michael said, 'I've battled demons and vampires. I think I can handle it.I hope I can handle it.' "How much longer is half-time?" one of the other players asked. The coach looked at his watch. "Another ten minutes." The boy groaned and fell back against his bench. He had been in the first string. He was one of the least injured ones, so he would most likely play in the second half, too. He may be able to play, but that didn't mean he wasn't in pain. A whole lot of pain. Suddenly, they heard screams coming from above the room, out on the field. Michael and Rath looked at each other briefly before rushing out to see what happened. The rest of the room looked after them in astonishment, then strolled out to see what the big deal was. Out on the field was a huge herd of vampires, all dressed in leather. They all had their game faces on, except the leader. The leader was a bulky man. His black hair was greased back, making his large nose more prominent on his pale face. The audience looked on in horror as the leader grabbed a cheerleader and bit into her neck, draining her of her life source. Most of the crowd was frozen for a moment before attempting to escape from the field. The leader calmly looked at all the frightened faces, a smirk playing on his lips. He lifted his leather-clad arms in the air. The signal brought an army of Rattlesnakes team members to the gates of the field. They locked the gates and blocked the entrances. The people were trapped. The newly extended Scooby Gang slowly made their way from the stands onto the field where the vampires stood. The leader looked at them, examining all their faces, until he stopped on one of them. "Slayer," he sneered, with a wicked smile. "I'm sorry, you'll have to specify which slayer you're talking to," Maria said as Michael and Rath walked up to them, their arms crossed in front of them in identical stances. "I'm talking to you, babe," he said as he eyed her up and down. "It's all about the young blood." "Are you calling me old? Because I am not old, buddy," Buffy said. "So it's true. There is more than one slayer. It would be interesting to see how.feared I will become. Imagine this. The vampire that not only kills the Slayer that won't stay dead, but also her other two replacements. Three slayers at once. I will be famous." "Don't you watch TV, dude? Guys who boast before actually doing anything are usually in for the butt kicking of their life," Alex said, unimpressed. "When'll you learn. Kill first, boast later." The vampire glared in anger at the lanky boy. He would not take crap from a human. They were the lesser being. He was above that now, had been for the past hundred and fifty years. He would not be stopped. Slayer or not. He switched to his game face and raised one arm above his head. He made a sign and his minions started crowding around the group. Some of the more athletic humans took the chance to climb over the fence and run for safety. Others scrambled to make an opening in the fence at ground level. The group looked around. Hundreds of vampires to fight against a group of about twenty. As one, the Scooby Gang pulled out weapons from different bags and hidden clothes compartments. The vampires all snarled and lunged in for the attack. The slayers jumped into action swiftly, punching, kicking and staking all vampires within reach. Michael, Rath, Isabel and Alex also helped with the hand to hand combat, using their fighting skills to their advantage in the battle. The others fought as best they could, sticking to groups of at least three that could protect itself. The aliens cheated a little by using their powers to vanquish more numbers at a faster rate. Alex was putting his new power to use, popping out of the fight to help the people to get out of the football field. He used his extra strength to help them open the gate. The people were too scared to question him as they all scampered off the field, screaming bloody murder. Alex popped back into the fight as the last of the humans ran out. His team needed him. Faith Whitman fought beside her alien lover who was using his powers more openly. The field was clear of civilians as far as they could tell and the fray was so confused that it was unlikely that they would be discovered. Faith watched as a vampire ran a long, sharp sword through Liz Parker. She watched in what appeared to be slow motion as her red blood spilled out onto the green grass. Liz looked around helplessly for Max, who hadn't noticed she was hurt, before she collapsed onto the turf. On the other end of the field, Rupert Giles was slumped against the bleachers after being thrown there by one of the vampires. He was unconscious. So much for just a football game. They had to turn this fight around and fast. Spike cracked his neck before jumping back headfirst into the fray. He didn't get to flex his fighting muscles much in Roswell. It seemed they needed to come visit Arizona more often. This was where all the action was at obviously, and the Big Bad was always ready for battle. Stake. Stake. Fry. Stake. Kick. That was Michael's pattern as he worked through the field of vampires. There were hundreds of them at least. Lots of them were from the football team. No wonder they were losing. And why the hell was he thinking about football stats when he should be fighting vampires? Too much Valenti. Had to be. Maria saved the lead vampire for herself. Cocky bastard was looking too smug. She would have to pound that look off his face. "You and me, baby?" the vampire sneered. "I like that. Maybe we should get out of here, have a little fun first. I always wanted to know what drew Angelus and William the Bloody to the slayers. What is it? Is it all that flexibility?" Maria slapped him. "Perv." She proceeded to punch him in the chest, kicked his kneecap, then groin. When he hunched over, she snapped his head back, then tripped him over. "You're really cocky for a stupid guy, you know that?" The vampire growled and kicked back upright. He swung his fists at her head, then kicked her in the stomach. Maria flipped out of reach when he grabbed a sword from one of his fallen minions and swung it at her. He thrust forward, going straight for the soft flesh of her stomach, but was stopped mid-thrust by a strong force. Maria had grabbed the blade of the sword in her hands, twisted it around and yanked it out of his hands. Maria threw the sword up in the air, staked the leader, and then caught it as he turned to dust. "Hmm. Maybe I should have kept him for info.oh well," she said to herself, as she looked over the field of dust. The fight was over and they won. Michael just staked the last vampire and was now making his way over to her. There was a residual fog of vampiric dust floating in the air around the football field. "Hey! Did we win?" a voice called from near the bleachers. They all looked over to find Kyle hobbling over on his sprained ankle, leaning against Laurie. "Valenti, are you kidding me? Now you decide to show up?" Faith said. "Duh. I have to wait for my servants to do all the dirty work, then I can come in and take all the credit," Kyle said with a smile, looking at all of them, "hey, where's Liz?" The entire field froze. The only movement was twenty pairs of eyes darting amongst them to find the familiar face. "Damn! She got stabbed, I saw her, it was over there!" Faith cried, pointing to the left end of the field before taking off to find their fallen friend. "What do you mean you saw?" Max cried, "And you didn't say anything?" "Well, I was kinda busy, Max," Faith said, still searching. The cloud of vampire dust was making their job difficult. "Kind of busy?! This is Liz!" he yelled, shaking her. "I suggest you take your hands off me before I beat you down," Faith said calmly. "I'm sorry, Faith, it's just that she's my soulmate and I love her. I'd die without her." "Yeah. Right," Faith said, going back to looking. "And that's why you didn't even notice she was gone," she muttered under her breath. "What was that?" "I found her! Max come quick!" Maria called. "Liz? Lizzie! You have to wake up, honey." Max ran up and shoved Maria out of the way. He cradled Liz head in his hand and gently shook her shoulder. "Liz? Liz, you have to look at me." "M-maxxx?" she slurred, her eyes fluttering open. Their eyes locked and Max concentrated his entire being on healing his soulmate, on mending her broken flesh and making her whole again. A red glow appeared around his hand as the healing started. The hole in her stomach mended and the blood in her veins stopped pumping out onto her sweater and continued on its journey around her body. Sweat pooled on Max brow as he knitted the cells and tissues together into perfect white skin, with a silvery glow that would form into a handprint. Max collapsed against Isabel as Liz took in a gasping breath. She was healed. She bolted up, and pulled Max into a crushing hug, tears streaming down her face. Max lazily put his hands around her waist and hugged her to him. Faith looked away from the scene, not wanting to hear the sappy recount of how much it hurt to almost lose each other and whatnot. No doubt she could hear it back home. Home. She didn't think she'd consider anywhere home, let alone Roswell, New Mexico. She'd always thought of herself as a city girl, not small town. She guessed it worked because of who was in it. Rath, Michael, Maria, Alex, the Whitman's. They made Roswell for her. Just then, her eyes hit on the slumped body by the bleachers, or rather, the big bulky body standing over the slumped body at the bleachers. "Hey!" she yelled, as the bigger body bent at the waist and pulled Giles up by his jacket collar. The vampire only glanced up at her before bending his head to sink his teeth into his prey. She was too far to reach him in time. "No!" Faith raised her hand above her head, not sure what she was going to do, but doing it anyway. She, and everyone else, was surprised when the vampire flew up into the air, away from Giles and was impaled on a goal post. "Okay," Faith stated after staring at the goal post in shock for about five minutes, "that.was cool."  
  
***************************************************** 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay. I had a humongous case of writer's block that wound not go away. But, here's chapter 16. It's kinda dumb. Oh yeah, since I started this from season two of Roswell, and season five of Buffy because I didn't have UPN, there's gonna be some discrepancies with the Angel Universe. So, pretend that Angel only had 2 seasons and squish the third one into seasons one and two, okay? Did that make sense? Probably not. You'll see what I mean in this chapter. Thanks to everybody that gave feedback. I live for feedback. You guys rock.  
  
Anyway, onward with the story.  
  
CHAPTER SIXTEEN  
  
Angel sat silently behind the front desk of the Hyperion hotel. It was a slow week in LA. A slow month actually. Cordelia hadn't had a vision in a while and he wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried. The evil could very well be waiting, hiding in a corner somewhere until they were comfortable, only to spring on them at the most inopportune moment. And he knew that the Powers that Be would give them as little notice as possible when it was time.  
  
Angel sighed and rested his head back on his arms as he reclined on his leather office chair. Within him, his soul was happy that at least for now they were safe. That humankind at least had a break from the underworld, as far as he knew, anyway. But somewhere, deep within the recesses of his vampiric heart lay the beast, ready and waiting for a good fight. Craving it. The evil within him that he mostly kept under control.  
  
He was so lost in thought that he was startled when Cordelia came bounding through the door. He almost hoped that she'd had a vision, but the smile on her face killed that thought. If she'd had a vision there'd be a grimace of pain on her face and a string of curses at the tip of her tongue that she was too trained to release.  
  
"Angel. Pack your things, we're going on a road trip," she stated bluntly.  
  
"What?" he asked, caught off guard. He didn't expect that one. An 'Angel, I just found a new rich, paying client' he was prepared for.  
  
"Roadtrip."  
  
"To where? Why are we going? Did you have a vision?"  
  
"No, I didn't have a vision," she said with her patented eye roll. "Not everything revolves around the PTB, you know." She walked over to the coffee machine and poured herself a cup. "Xander and Anya are getting married in two weeks. We need to be there."  
  
"They are? Since when? Why didn't anybody tell me?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you? I could have sworn I did.oh well, we're going. I already bought this really hot dress with new strappy shoes, but I don't really like the colour that much. I was thinking Isabel could fix it for me."  
  
Angel zoned out on Cordelia, lost in his own thoughts. He supposed they could use the change of scenery. For the past four months, he and his crew had been back and forth between LA and Sunnydale. With the Slayer gone, somebody had to make sure that the Hellmouth didn't run amok. It wasn't that hard a task, and it served as good training for them all. Even Fred had become a strong fighter. She had long since moved out of the hotel. Finally convinced that humans were not as ruthless as the Pyleans were and that she no longer had to live in a cave. She returned from time to time, helping them with their battles and assisting with the research on different demons and prophecies.  
  
"Angel? Are you listening to me?" Cordelia complained, waving a hand in front of his face.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then what did I just say?"  
  
"Um.I don't remember?"  
  
Cordelia tapped him upside the head and sighed.  
  
"I asked you when you wanted to go get fitted into a tux?"  
  
"Tux?"  
  
"For the wedding? Angel, what's wrong with you tonight?" she complained, "You know, I think you're getting senile in your old age. Do vampires go senile? Well, obviously, since you are."  
  
"I'll go tomorrow," Angel interrupted, "Do you know somewhere that opens at night?"  
  
"Are you kidding me? This is LA we're talking about." Angel nodded. There would always be a store open.  
  
"When are we going on this road trip?"  
  
"Next week. That gives you one week to pack and go shopping. Try to get Gunn to go with. At least he has some sense of style."  
  
Angel nodded. It was better that way anyway. At least he didn't have to shop with Cordelia, or Isabel for that matter. That would kill him, surely. He got up and walked over to the door, pulling on his coat. He turned back to her at the door.  
  
"Need a ride home?"  
  
"Sure. Lets go."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Willow pressed the end button on the cordless phone as she plopped down on the couch next to Tara in the Slayer mansion. She had a huge grin on her face.  
  
"It's settled. Cordy's bringing the crew down to Roswell. They should be here in a few days," she said excitedly, "She said they were bringing a surprise. I wonder what it is?"  
  
"They better bring a good wedding present," Anya said.  
  
"Anya!"  
  
"What? We're feeding them and we're the ones getting married. I have been around for a thousand years and I am pretty sure that mortals get presents at weddings. And I saw it on TV," Anya explained.  
  
"Yeah, okay, Anya," Buffy said, shaking her head. "So where are they going to stay? We don't have that many rooms."  
  
"Um.we'll figure that out," said Willow, "Maybe Angel can shack up with Spike in the basement."  
  
Xander burst out in laughter. "You do not know how wrong that sounded, Will."  
  
Willow stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Whatever. Maybe, I don't know, Buffy and Dawn can share and Cordelia and Fred can take one of the rooms. Wesley can room with Giles." Buffy raised an eyebrow. "They're grown men. I'm sure they won't kill each other." Buffy shrugged. "Um, who else? Gunn can stay with.Michael and Rath. I'm sure they won't mind, right?"  
  
"You want to ask them?" asked Dawn.  
  
"Okay, um."  
  
"How about they get a hotel?" Dawn suggested. They all nodded. It was the best solution. They probably had money, right?  
  
******************************************************  
  
Angel breathed out a sigh of relief as he drove past the Welcome to Roswell sign. This road trip had been hell. It was almost nine o'clock on a Wednesday night and he was irritated beyond belief. In the back seat of the van they rented, Cordelia complained about cramped quarters, Wesley flirted with Fred, Gunn flirted with Fred, Lorne sang along to the radio and Connor bickered with any and everybody. He would be glad to get the hell out of here.  
  
He pulled out the directions Willow had given him over the phone and began to navigate his way into the centre of town. The gang was meeting them at The Crashdown, Liz's family's restaurant. Maybe Connor would stop being so cranky after he was fed. It worked when he was a baby. He didn't think that would change after being in the hell dimension.  
  
"We're almost there," Angel announced to the van.  
  
"Obviously. I can read, father," Connor said, bitterly.  
  
"Connor!" Cordelia reprimanded, tapping him upside the head. He only ducked and rolled his eyes.  
  
Angel just remained staring out the window. Connor had come out of the hell dimension resenting him because of what Holtz told him. He didn't want to be anywhere near him at first, holding on to Holtz as his father, but didn't have a choice when Holtz died of a heart attack shortly after crossing the dimensions. Holtz's last request was for him to stay with Angel, so there he was.  
  
Angel had been ecstatic when Connor showed up at his hotel to stay. He'd been blissfully happy when he first called him 'father'; it didn't even matter that it was said in a sarcastic way that first time. But every time he said it that way, with residual hate in his voice, cut through Angel like a knife through his heart. Connor still held on to the stories Holtz told about him, but he wouldn't leave, because Holtz asked him to stay.  
  
Angel quickly hid the hurt in his eyes, but not before Cordelia noticed it. If Holtz weren't already dead, she would kill him. Even in death, he was keeping Angel away from his son. She looked over at Connor, who was staring out the window in silence. Somebody was going to have to talk some sense into that kid. When those little dimension demons called him The Destroyer, she didn't know how right they were. Now she knew. He was destroying Angel right now.  
  
The car was filled with an eerie green light as Angel pulled up in front of the Crashdown Café. The restaurant was closed for the night. Jeff Parker closed it so that they could have their little welcome party in private. The seven newcomers strolled up to the front door and walked in. All the chattering stopped and everyone looked up at them.  
  
"Hey, guys!" Cordelia said, brightly.  
  
"Cordelia!" Willow exclaimed, jumping up to hug her friend. "The gang's all back together, now."  
  
"Yeah. Xander, Anya, congrats," said Cordelia as she hugged them both.  
  
"Thanks, Cordy," Xander said.  
  
"Who's that?" asked Michael, suspiciously.  
  
"This is Connor," Angel announced, "my son."  
  
They all stood there with their jaws hanging open in stunned silence.  
  
"I-I think you'd better explain how this is possible," Giles was the first to speak.  
  
"This is a long story," Cordelia said. "You guys better sit down, you know, get some snacks."  
  
"Cordy!"  
  
"Okay, fine. Wolfram and Hart raised something in a box last year. We couldn't stop them before they did the ritual and we didn't know what they raised. Turns out, it was Darla."  
  
"Who's Darla?"  
  
"Angel's sire," Maria answered.  
  
"We saw her in a book," Michael continued.  
  
"She looks like."  
  
"Topolsky."  
  
"Yeah. Okay. They're still doing that?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Anyway, they brought her back to seduce Angel, so they'd do the nasty and he'd lose his soul. But it backfired. Angel didn't lose his soul and Darla ended up getting pregnant."  
  
"Wait. Since when do vampires get knocked up?" asked Dawn.  
  
"Nobody knows," Wesley answered. "It was prophesied in the Nyazian scrolls, though."  
  
"So, Darla showed up right after you guys left, nine months pregnant and pissed as hell. Connor had a soul and because of that, he made her feel guilty for killing humans. His humanity sort of spilled into her. Anyway, she couldn't go into labour properly, because, you know, vampires aren't built that way."  
  
"So, what happened?" asked Liz.  
  
Angel sighed, taking over the story. "She staked herself because she was in too much pain, and also because she knew that she would lose what little soul she had once he was born. She didn't want to hurt him, so she killed herself," Angel said sadly.  
  
"Yeah, anyway, this demon named Lajon brought this vampire hunter forward through time from 200 years ago. His name was Holtz. Apparently he and Angelus have some history together," Gunn continued.  
  
"I killed his wife and his children. I turned his daughter," Angel stated.  
  
"Yeah, and Holtz was pissed off. He wanted revenge, so he tried to kill us a whole bunch of times. Then, he found out about Connor. He kidnapped him."  
  
"Wolfram and Hart also found out about Connor and wanted to capture him to study him." The Pod Squad involuntarily shuddered. "Lajon wanted to kill him. It came down to us, Wolfram and Hart, Lajon or Holtz. Lajon opened up a gateway to a hell dimension and threatened to suck the whole world in if we didn't hand him over. Then, Holtz just snatched Connor and jumped into the portal. Lajon closed it before Angel could jump in to save him."  
  
"And this all happened two months ago?" Maria asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So how do you explain the teenager sitting in front of me?"  
  
"Time moves faster in hell," Buffy stated.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So Angel spent a whole month trying to find a way to save Connor. Then, one day these little bug things infested the hotel, sucking people dry. They possessed Fred and told us the destroyer was coming, right before we fried 'em. We went into the lobby, by the portal Angel made and this big demon thing drops out of nowhere. Then this boy drops on top of it and kills it," Cordelia said.  
  
"So Connor is the Destroyer?"  
  
"I am," Connor stated, proudly. It was the first thing he said the whole time.  
  
"He came back with Holtz. Then Holtz died shortly after of a heart attack. He told Connor to stay with us, so here he is," Gunn summed up.  
  
"Yeah, with a Holtz sized chip on his shoulder," Cordelia muttered.  
  
"Wow," Willow said, "That's some story. How do you like it here, Connor?"  
  
"I hate it."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Can I go now?" he asked rudely.  
  
"Connor!"  
  
"I don't want to be here."  
  
"Maria, you think you can train him? I mean, you trained Michael, right?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"So, where are you guys staying?" asked Isabel, changing the subject.  
  
"At the Tumbleweed Inn, though I'm not sure somebody's ready to be around civilized people," Cordelia said, glaring at Connor.  
  
"Cordelia," Angel berated, "I'm sure Connor will be just fine."  
  
"I don't need you to defend me. You are not my father!" Connor shouted, jumping out of the booth and storming out of the door. Angel jumped up and ran after him.  
  
"Damn. Somebody's pissy," Kyle said. "Maybe we should lock him in a room with Maria, Faith, Dawn and Xander. They're our best trainers."  
  
"Wait, who'd Dawn train?"  
  
"Spike," Maria snickered.  
  
"Hey! The Big Bad is not trained thank you very much."  
  
"Nah. He'll fight them, then run," said Cordelia.  
  
"That scrawny little boy?"  
  
"He's part Angel and part Darla. He puts up a good fight," Wesley said.  
  
"And you have no idea how this came to be?" asked Giles, as he cleaned his glasses.  
  
"None. Darla said she'd visited many witch doctors and Shamans and they all say that this should not be happening."  
  
"And there's nothing in your books?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Well. Maybe we should check my books for any info. I think I have some others that you don't."  
  
"Have you the Book of Calyzar volume two? I lost my copy when our first building blew up."  
  
The others tuned out their conversation, filing it away as boring watcher talk. They all began to chat about mundane things like school and the latest demon kills. Angel showed up with Connor a couple hours later with a few cuts and scrapes between them. Michael flinched at that involuntarily. Connor looked too much like he did when he had to live with Hank, even though he knew he probably started the fight with Angel.  
  
"I am sorry for being rude," Connor said, disgruntled. The gang nodded and went back to their conversations while he sat alone in the corner. Silent.  
  
**************************** *************************  
  
Michael, Maria, Faith, Rath and Connor were sitting in the Guerin apartment, watching Braveheart. They were trying to make Connor feel more welcome to human society and discretely make him more amicable. The boys instantly bonded over the bloody, action flick. It seemed that no matter where you grew up, boys would love high body count movies.  
  
Faith and Maria rolled their eyes as the guys cheered when the British attacked the Irish and Scottish. They would like that part. But they didn't mind. At least they got to watch Mel Gibson running around in a skirt. It was better than nothing.  
  
As they were about to chop Mel Gibson's head off, there was a knock on the door. Maria hopped off the couch to answer it.  
  
"Eddie!" she exclaimed. Michael's head snapped up.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked as Maria led him inside.  
  
"Riverdog sent me," he said, glancing around the room. "Hey, was there always two of you?"  
  
They ignored his question. "What does he want?"  
  
"I don't know. He just said to meet him in the cave tonight and to bring everybody, including your new friends."  
  
"Okay- wait, how does he know we have new friends?" Michael asked suspiciously.  
  
"Riverdog has his ways," Eddie said mysteriously, "I have to go. Meet at the cave at eight o'clock, okay? He'll be waiting."  
  
With that Eddie walked out the door.  
  
"Okay. What the hell's he talking about?" asked Faith.  
  
**************************** *************************  
  
At eight o'clock on the dot, two vans, a Jeep and a beat up red Jetta pulled up in front the Mesaliko Reservation. Their twenty-six occupants followed the original pod squad, Michael, Maria, Max, Liz, Alex and Isabel, on the long hike up to the cave. The cave was pitch black. They could barely see two feet in front of their faces. Suddenly, the front line, the original pod squad plus Kyle, felt cold stones in their hands. All seven stones lit up instantly, though two of them were dimmer. The rest of the group looked on in amazement at the bright blue light. An old Native American man stood in front of them. Behind him, was a bigger cave area with blue writing on the walls.  
  
"Wow," Tara murmured, squeezing Willow's hand.  
  
"Follow me," said Riverdog, calmly.  
  
They followed him into the main cave room. It was pretty big and comfortably fit them all. Maria looked at the middle of the room, where there was a fire burning, where Michael lay dying and they had to do the healing ceremony. It was one of the scariest things they had to deal with. Michael wrapped his arm around Maria, sensing her thoughts.  
  
'It'll be okay,' he said. 'I'm fine. It's never going to happen again.'  
  
'It better not,' she answered, 'or I'll kill you.'  
  
"What did you want to ask us?" asked Max, ever the leader.  
  
Riverdog eyed the group of them. Eyes settling on each for a few seconds before moving to the next, different expressions passing through his wise eyes, but to fast to decipher.  
  
"Nature has a balance," he began. "The sun shines in the day, but makes way for the moon at night. They share the sky sometimes, but always, there is a balance. The prey and the predator, there is always a balance."  
  
The only person in the room that wasn't completely lost was Kyle. Buddha was probably good for something.  
  
"When the scale tips, nature tries to rebalance it," he continued, "the scales have been tipped many times." River pulled out a small pouch and sat at one side of the fire. "Please sit around the fire." They all sat in a circle. He pulled out a handful of dust and blew it into the fire. The flame turned blue for a few seconds before returning to its natural red- orange colour. Riverdog then picked up a bowl, drank from it, then passed it to Michael, who was sitting beside him. The gang took turns drinking from the bowl until it returned to Riverdog. He took one last sip, then dipped his fingers into the liquid and sprinkled it in the fire. He began to chant with his eyes closed.  
  
"What's he doing?" Buffy whispered to Willow. She shrugged and continued watching him.  
  
Riverdog's eyes snapped open and he stood up, looking at them all. He moved to stand behind Buffy.  
  
"You are the beginning," he said, placing his hands on her head. "You are good. You fight against the evil, but you lost once and you were taken. This is what was meant to be, but you returned and so there was extra good." He walked over to Faith. "This tipped the scales and therefore there had to be a greater evil. The evil ascended and took the extra good with it, tipping the balance again. The evil was killed and it was balanced." Faith gasped knowing he was talking about the mayor. "Then, there was a burst in good." He walked over to Cordelia and held his hand over her head. "One you remember."  
  
"Doyle," Cordelia whispered. Riverdog nodded. Then walked over to Max and Liz.  
  
"Another was brought back from death. The balance was upset again. Though to a lesser extent. It still needed to be fixed, though." He walked over to Willow. "Someone you remember. Someone who hurt you and you hurt back."  
  
"Oz. But Oz wasn't evil. Usually," Willow said, "Plus he was there before."  
  
"His mate was not." Willow looked down sadly. He meant Veruca. He walked over to Anya. "You too."  
  
"Then the balance shifted again. You became good." He pointed to Willow. "Oz's mate died." He pointed to the Pod Squad. "The tormentor was killed."  
  
Riverdog sat back in his place. "But some good was lost." He glanced at Cordelia. Doyle died.  
  
"What does all this have to do with now?" asked Buffy.  
  
"Patience, child," he said. Riverdog sprinkled some more dust into the fire, then stood up again. He walked over to Dawn. "You are energy, made to be hidden. Unnatural. This doesn't matter, though because you are neutral." He walked over to stand between Angel and Connor. "An evil was brought back to life." Darla. He walked back to the Pod Squad. "Old evil returned from a past." The Skins. He stood behind Michael. "But old good also returned." Courtney.  
  
"So, it was still balanced?" Max asked.  
  
"Yes, but then time was muddled with." He turned to Max and Liz. "This was the beginning of a huge imbalance that will hardly be fixed." He sat down again. "When your friend attempted to change the future, he ripped the very fabric of space and time and brought about things that should never have happened." He glanced at the Scooby Gang and then at Connor.  
  
"You mean, like Glory?" Dawn asked, following what he was saying.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"When he travelled back in time, he upset the powers of the universe and she was able to escape the spell that trapped her," said Giles in a burst of knowledge. Riverdog smiled.  
  
"And that's why two vampires were able to procreate? Because he meddled with the powers?" Wesley asked.  
  
"Yes," he stated with a slight nod.  
  
"Wow. And all because Max tried to save the world," Liz said in awe.  
  
"So, if Future Max never came back, I would never be a Slayer," Maria said.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay. Again. What does this have to do with now?"  
  
"There is another imbalance. One that could mean the fate of humanity. Every new imbalance is bigger and bigger. This one is the biggest yet. Look around you at the size of the side of good. Imagine the side of evil. I am here to warn you of what is to come."  
  
**************************** ************************  
  
The gang was silent as they followed the old Native American back to the Reservation, Riverdog's words laying heavily on their minds. They may not have known it at the time, but with all their messing with fate and destiny, they brought more and more evil onto Earth. It was sort of their fault that they had this fight.  
  
The only sounds on the Reservation were the chanting from the Sweat, the howling of distant coyotes and the crunch on rocks beneath their feet. The full moon hung above them in the sky, shining light into the dark night.  
  
"There are some people that you should meet," Riverdog said as they neared a small house.  
  
The house was cream with brown trimmings. There was a flowerbed under each of the windowsills. Plain blue curtains hung in all the windows. All the lights were on inside and they could here somebody shriek 'Danny!' from inside. Riverdog just chuckled and shook his head at that. The person was giggling like a maniac with Danny's deep chuckles following.  
  
The gang followed Riverdog into the house. The inside was as homey as the outside looked. Warm cream walls greeted them, with various paintings adorning the surface.  
  
"C'mon, Danny, stop it!" the person exclaimed between giggles as Riverdog led the gang into the living room. The room was relatively big. It had wall- to-wall thick, white carpet, with a Native American patterned rug in the middle. There were two floral couches and two armchairs in the centre of the room surrounding a dark wood coffee table. In front of the arrangement was a 25" TV. Rolling around on the floor next to the coffee table, were two bodies in the process of what seemed to be a tickle fight.  
  
They looked up as Riverdog cleared his throat. Blushing when they noticed the guests, they stood up. Willow gasped.  
  
"Children, this is my grand daughter, Serena, and her boyfriend, Daniel," Riverdog introduced.  
  
"Hey, guys," Daniel said, slightly nervously.  
  
"Oz?" Willow said in disbelief.  
  
"Willow." Oz studied the carpet.  
  
Serena looked back and forth between the two of them, then smiled brightly and stuck out her hand at Willow.  
  
"Hi, you must be Willow. Danny's told me so much about you," Serena said, warmly, "So, this must be the whole Scooby Gang. There's more of you than I thought. Let me see if I can guess." She glanced at everybody, then selected the blonde on the right of Willow, holding her hand shyly. "You must be.Tara." She smiled shyly and nodded. "Okay. That takes out one blonde, so one of you is Anya and another is Buffy, but there's extra blondes here. Danny?" She playfully slapped his arm. "You left some people out."  
  
"No, actually, I don't know some of these people," he said.  
  
"Why doesn't everybody sit down and introduce themselves," Riverdog said, "I will bring drinks."  
  
They all nodded and crowded into the living room. Bodies covered most of the square inches as people sat on chairs and on the soft carpet. Oz and Serena sat Indian style in front of the TV on the ground in front of the whole group.  
  
"So, who's going to introduce?" asked Serena impatiently.  
  
Buffy introduced everybody and explained their roles, except for the aliens; after all, they didn't know how much Riverdog told her.  
  
"So, Oz how did you and Serena meet?" asked Cordelia.  
  
"I left Sunnydale to learn how to control my wolf side, and I thought I did it, too, on my own, but when I came back, I turned again," he started. The Scooby Gang nodded. They remembered that. "Well, I decided to get as far away from there as I could, so I loaded up the van and headed for the east coast. But the van had other ideas."  
  
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*``*`*`*`  
  
An old black van chugged its way through the desert of New Mexico. It was on the last leg of its life and would have to be put to sleep pretty soon.or at least it needed a good tune up to make it run for little longer.  
  
"Come on, come on," he begged his old ride. "Please don't die."  
  
He groaned as his van coughed, sputtered, then went into a coma. It looked like he was walking. He climbed out of the driver's seat and rustled around in the back, shoving whatever clean clothes he had into a small green duffel bag. Then, he picked up his guitar case and hopped out of the van. It was almost dusk. The last rays of the sun streaked across the sky, creating a sky of red and orange.  
  
He patted his coat pocket, checking for his trusty stake, as he walked past the "Welcome to Roswell" sign. This may be the land of aliens, but nobody said there weren't any vampires.  
  
`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*  
  
"So I ended up walking down the highway for a couple of miles before I saw the reservation. I wandered in, you know, to find a phone."  
  
`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*  
  
It was dark, almost nine o'clock, and the Reservation was pretty silent except for the chanting from a tent. Oz stood still and sniffed the air. Somebody was coming. He spun around suddenly to become face to face with a young man who was looking at him suspiciously.  
  
"You lost?" he asked, eyeing him up and down. Oz stood still under his gaze.  
  
"No, my van died outside of town and I was wondering if you had a phone?" he asked. The man stared at him and didn't say anything.  
  
"Fine, if you don't want to help, I'll walk," Oz said finally, turning to walk away. He walked right into a girl who was standing right behind him. He caught her before she fell.  
  
She had dark brown, almost black eyes and long straight, dark brown hair. She was about his height with a small build.  
  
"You can put me down, now," she said, amused because he was staring.  
  
"Right, yeah," he stuttered. She laughed and stuck out her hand.  
  
"Hi, I'm Serena."  
  
"Daniel Osborne." They shook hands and that was history.  
  
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*  
  
By then, Riverdog had returned with a tray of glasses and a jug of juice. He sat on the armchair they saved for him and listened as they told their story.  
  
"So did you learn to control it?" Willow asked.  
  
"Didn't you notice that it's a full moon tonight?" Oz asked. She shook her head. "Not keeping track since I've been gone, right?"  
  
"How'd you do it?" asked Cordelia.  
  
"Actually, Riverdog helped me."  
  
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*  
  
Danny sat down on the couch in the small cream house, next to Serena. She had invited him to spend the night with them until he could go and get his car fixed in the morning. She assured him that her grandfather wouldn't mind at all.  
  
Riverdog didn't return until late, at around eleven. The old man was covered in sweat from head to toe. He stared at him suspiciously as he entered the living room.  
  
"Grandpa, this is Danny Osborne," Serena announced, "His car's busted so I told him he can stay here tonight. That's okay, right?" She batted her eyelashes at him hopefully. Riverdog looked from his grand daughter to the boy on the couch. He looked about 19 years old and looked harmless. But there was a hidden danger within him.  
  
"There is a hidden animal within you," Riverdog stated, walking over to the couch, "you wish to control it."  
  
Danny stared at him in shock. There was no way he could know he was a werewolf.  
  
"The wolf," Riverdog continued, "is dangerous and vicious, but only until it is tamed."  
  
Danny glanced nervously back at Serena, hoping that she wasn't freaked out. He really liked her and he didn't want to scare her off.  
  
"I will help you control the beast," Riverdog stated, walking away, "And you can spend the night."  
  
"How.?" Danny asked.  
  
"Did he know you're a werewolf?" Serena finished, "Riverdog has his ways."  
  
"Why aren't you scared?"  
  
She shrugged. "Maybe I'm nuts."  
  
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*  
  
"So, Riverdog taught me how to meditate and he did a bunch of rituals on me, and here I am," Oz said, wrapping an arm around Serena.  
  
"And you never change?" asked Willow.  
  
"Well, sometimes, but I have to be really pissed."  
  
"That's so cool. I'm happy for you," Willow said, sincerely. Oz smiled at her.  
  
*************************************** 


	17. Chapter Seventeen

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything but a couple of CDs and.ok, that's all I own.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What's up my homies? Yes, I'm still alive. I finally did it. This is the worst chapter I can possibly write (at least so far). It's an update though. Kinda long awaited. Kinda short. Whatever. Anyway, onward through the pages.  
  
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN  
  
  
  
He stood in front of the large window overlooking LA. It was almost time. Time to take over. He could feel his chance coming, the chance to overthrow the royal four once and for all. They would fall. And he would watch them and laugh. The system would be his entirely to do as he pleased. Then, maybe he would take Earth. Khivar raised his hand in front of his face, creating a bright red glow. This power was addictive. Too bad he wouldn't have it when he got home. Oh well, five planets would be his consolation.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Enter!"  
  
"My lord," the man said, bowing respectfully. Khivar turned, raising an eyebrow in question. "We have just received word from our spy on Zerrella. King Larek has been searching for a linguist to translate a Carnasian prophecy."  
  
Khivar grinned coldly. He sent a spiralling energy ball at the servant, making him fall to his knees in pain.  
  
"Old news! You interrupt me to tell me things I already know!"  
  
"No, sire. There is more," he panted, "King Larek has found a linguist from the old house of Carnath. He has translated the script." He stood up slowly, shakily handing an envelope to his master.  
  
"Leave me," Khivar grunted, opening the envelope. Reading the contents, Khivar grinned evilly.  
  
"Should we kill him?" asked Nicholas as he stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"No. We'll let them have this information. In fact, make sure they get it." He tossed the file to Nicholas. "And tell the spy to tape their reaction. I've taken a liking to movies."  
  
******************************* ****************************  
  
Larek lay on his bed, looking through the skylight at the war torn planet of Antar. He'd had it built into his castle so that he could be close to home. Sometimes he felt lucky to have left Antar when he did. Other times, he felt guilty for marrying the princess of Zerrella and leaving his home planet to be taken over by that tyrant. Although, technically it wasn't his fault and he knew that. He wouldn't have been able to do anything about it even if he had stayed, but it still didn't affect his guilty conscience. His people were suffering while he lived peacefully, though still in fear, on Zerrella. It wasn't fair. That's why he vowed to help Zan as much as he could. Because no matter where he was or what title he had, Zan was still his king and his friend, and Antar was still his home.  
  
Suddenly, he felt a small tingling at the back of his mind. Someone was trying to contact him. Sitting up, he pressed his hands together, then slowly dragged them apart, creating a round screen. He closed his eyes, opening himself up to whoever opened the communication.  
  
"Your highness," said the woman on the other side.  
  
"Cataleena," he greeted, "have you translated the script?"  
  
"I have, your majesty, but the words disturb me."  
  
"Why? What does it say?" asked Larek, getting worried.  
  
"It says.."  
  
**************************** **********************************  
  
"Hey, Av, what're you doing?" Zan laughed ducking out of her way.  
  
"Makin' a video, what's it look like?"  
  
The extremely extended Scooby gang family were in the training room. Some of them slaving over dusty books, some closely examining magazines, while others sparred in the middle of the room. It wasn't time for patrolling yet, so they were just chilling. After being in Roswell for a week, Angel Investigations had gotten sucked into the rituals of the gang, easily fitting into the supernatural family. Even Connor was a little nicer. He didn't scowl quite as much and he had started calling Angel by his first name. Maria had put her foot down when she saw how hurt Angel would get when Connor spitefully called him 'Father'. She gave him a slayer sized slap on the back of the head, told him he was lucky to even have one and ordered him to be nicer or she would sic Isabel, or even her mother on him. That notion scared him stupid. He may not have been around humans long, but he knew who to push and when to run away, and Maria Deluca, Isabel Evans and Amy Valenti were not people to push. He behaved from then on, and Cordelia eventually deemed him worthy of living around normal people. He was now staying in the hotel with the rest of the LA crew.  
  
"Ava, you know you can't do that, what if it gets into the wrong hands? The special unit could still be out there somewhere," Max said. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Take it easy, Max, its not like she's gonna show it in the middle of the crash festival or something. She doesn't even have to carry it anywhere to develop or anything," Isabel said, dismissively flipping through a magazine. Max looked around the room for help, but whoever wasn't making monkey faces at the camera, looked like they couldn't care less. He shrugged and went back to cuddling in the corner with Liz.  
  
"C'mon, Max, stop being so lame," Anya admonished, "This is fun. Hey, maybe we can do my idea, you know, film Buffy and Michael sparring and sell it."  
  
"What?" Serena asked. Serena and Oz had also joined in with the crew.  
  
"We would get lots of money," Anya explained excitedly, "And then I could count it."  
  
Serena laughed. "Good idea."  
  
Just then, the basement door burst open. There was a sudden eerie silence as everyone turned to the doorway to see a slim curly haired man.  
  
"Brody?"  
  
"It's Larek," he said walking stiffly down the stairs. He glanced quickly around the room, stopping only to glare at Michael, before sitting on the only proper chair.  
  
"What's up with you?" asked Zan.  
  
"I've done the translation." They all stared at him.  
  
"What translation?" asked Fred.  
  
"Remember? In the summer?" Rath started.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"There is still a part of the scroll that needs to be decoded," he explained. He walked up to the counter and lay the document flat in front of it. Everyone crowded around him. "You see, here?" he said, pointing to a paragraph of symbols, "This is the part I just read. It is ancient Antarian. All nobles must learn the ancient languages of their planet, so it is easy for me to read." He pointed to another part. "This is another language altogether. I think it may be ancient Carnasian, or one of the other planets in our system."  
  
"So, you can't translate it," Buffy stated.  
  
"I could," he stated, "it will just take me a while. I would have to release this body and consult some books and the royal linguists. Someone should be able to translate it."  
  
"So, you don't know anything at all? Nothing looks familiar?" asked Wesley.  
  
"Just that it has something to do with the king," Larek said, a look of concentration on his face, "See this symbol? It means the same in any language: The King." Larek shook his head.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Dude, didn't you say that would take a day? That was, like three months ago," Kyle pointed out.  
  
"Finding a linguist that knows old Carnasian was harder than expected, after all it is a dead language and most of the Carnasian nobles are dead."  
  
"Most of them are dead? What about the others?" asked Rath. Larek ignored the question.  
  
"So, what's the translation?" asked Max.  
  
"The prince will betray the beliefs of his father," he said glaring at Michael, "the king will die at his hand."  
  
"Wait. Why are you looking at me?" Michael asked.  
  
"You're the prince," Zan said, semi-suspiciously.  
  
"But-"  
  
"I think you should detain him."  
  
"Wait a minute. I know Michael. He's my best friend, he would never betray us," Max said defensively. "What about Rath? He's the same person."  
  
"Now you're really reaching, bro," Zan growled.  
  
"How do we know? You heard the prophecy."  
  
"So you agree. It's Michael."  
  
"No, it has to be Rath. He's been evil before." Max ran his hands through his hair. "Ugh. I knew we shouldn't have trusted him. It was probably a plan all along with Lonnie."  
  
"It was an act!" Zan yelled in Max's face.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
Michael glanced over at Rath who had a pissed off, though slightly sad look on his face. A look that he knew he probably had as well. He looked over at Larek who was still glaring at them.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked. "About the translation?"  
  
"Yes," he said in a clipped tone.  
  
"Are you sure? I mean Khivar could be messing with your head."  
  
"My source can be trusted," he said coldly. "Now you may return to your leader and tell him that we've caught you. He won't be getting anymore inside information."  
  
"Larek, that's enough. We don't have any proof," Isabel yelled over the shouting of her brothers.  
  
"It is written."  
  
"You can't believe everything that's written. Besides, where does it specify which prince? There are five planets in that system, I'm sure there's not only one," Faith said.  
  
"I don't have kids, nor does the king of Ma'heala, or Pylea. The king of Carnath has been dead for years and the king of Antar is right here in this room."  
  
".or maybe there is," Faith said, shrugging.  
  
"What about Max's son?" asked Anya.  
  
"No! I won't believe that anything that comes from Max could be evil," Liz contended. "Besides, he's just a baby, how could he kill Max?"  
  
"Hello! Vampire baby born two months ago," Faith said, pointing at Connor.  
  
"It's not the same," Liz insisted.  
  
"Yes it is!"  
  
They were interrupted by the slamming of the basement door. Everyone shut up as they noticed that both Rath and Michael were gone. Maria and Faith shook their heads at them and went after them.  
  
"Why are you still here? They could be going back to Khivar right now, plotting a way to kill you," Larek said, "We should capture them now."  
  
"Larek, get out! Just get out, now!" Isabel yelled, pointing to the door.  
  
"You will see, princess, they will betray you and your brother will die. So says the prophecy." Larek walked out of the house head held high like the king he was.  
  
"What do we do now?" asked Kyle.  
  
"We go get our friends back. Come on, this is Michael and Rath we're talking about," Isabel exclaimed, "Max, Zan, if they really wanted to kill you, they would have done it already. They've had lots of chances."  
  
"Yeah, guys, you should think about this," Serena added, "Do you really want to screw up ten years."  
  
"Twelve," Ava corrected.  
  
".Twelve years of friendship over a piece of paper?"  
  
"What do you know? You don't even know them," Zan argued.  
  
"I've seen enough to know."  
  
"Ooh. A week. That's plenty."  
  
"Shut up! Will you just shut the hell up?!" Cordelia yelled. "This is getting us nowhere. Zan, Max, you've been in this group for more what four months? You should know as well as I do, prophecies aren't everything. They can be stopped. They are your best friends. Come on! It's very vague as it is."  
  
"I think she's right, Zan," Ava added, "Can you really see Rath killing you? Or Michael killing Max? It's not gonna happen."  
  
"Besides, Larek's translator could be working for Khivar. They could've made that up just to split us up," Alex added.  
  
"What do you think, Liz?" asked Max.  
  
"I can see their point, Max. Michael has saved us both a whole bunch of times," she said, nodding her head. "But we should still be careful around both of them."  
  
"Okay, Liz."  
  
"You've got to be kidding me," Isabel grumbled, rolling her eyes.  
  
"So it's settled. We won't pay attention to this prophecy. As far as we know, it's fake," he announced.  
  
"Whatever. I can't believe you, Max." Out of the corner of her eye, Isabel could see a little red light. "Ava, will you turn that damn thing off?!"  
  
****************************** *******************************  
  
"Michael, wait!"  
  
"What?! What do you want? To see if I head back to Khivar's place?" he replied, not stopping, "Tough luck. I'm not going there. Get your kicks somewhere else."  
  
Shocked, Maria stopped in her tracks, staring at him in disbelief. What was he talking about? When she finally noticed the lead Michael had on her, she broke out in a sprint, pulling him back when she got to him.  
  
"Michael, what are you talking about? I never accused you of working with Khivar. I never even thought it!"  
  
"Maybe you didn't say it or think it, but you didn't even try to defend me. You just sat there and watched."  
  
"B- I."  
  
"Just leave me alone," he said softly, turning around and walking away. In his wake, car alarms went of in a symphony of screeches and beeps, and all the windows in a half-mile radius exploded into minuscule shards.  
  
"Michael!"  
  
He ignored her.  
  
'Michael?' No response. He cut her off. That was the first time he mentally cut her off in months. She was going to kill Larek.  
  
********************************* ******************************  
  
Alex looked around at the broken ranks of a once tight group. It was amazing what one vague paragraph in one ancient prophecy could do. He couldn't believe that this was the same group of people that fought so hard against destiny. Why should they be so quick to believe the ancient writings of a dead society? For all they knew, they could be completely misinterpreting the whole thing or it could have been translated completely wrong, after all, the language had been dead for thousands of years and the people who would know how to read it were dead. They were relying on information from an unknown source.  
  
Just then Maria slammed the door to the basement open, ripping it completely off its hinges and sending it sailing across the room, where it smashed to millions of little splinters. Alex could see that this was not going to be nice.  
  
"What the freaking hell is wrong with you people?!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "You're gonna believe a piece of paper over Michael and Rath? I don't believe this! Don't you think me or Faith would have noticed if something was wrong with them? If they were on the wrong side? We have mental access." She pointed to her head. "Not to mention Lorne. How many times has he read them? He would have seen if they were going to betray us."  
  
The whole group was riveted to her heartfelt speech. The slayer was red in the face and crying, forcefully gripping the railing at the top of the stairs to keep her hands from shaking. Alex shook his head as the railing disintegrated under her grip. This was definitely not going to be nice.  
  
"Maria's right."  
  
"Shut up, Max!" He was stunned into silence. "You are just as bad as Zan. Maybe even worse."  
  
"How? I never."  
  
"Accused him? No. Maybe you didn't accuse him. But you accused his brother. You know Michael, he's always wanted a brother and here you are, basically saying that he's evil and out to kill you. And.and they're made from the same mold. You diss Rath, you're sure as hell dissing Michael too."  
  
"Maria, calm down," Liz intervened.  
  
"No I will not calm down."  
  
"We already agreed that we wouldn't take that prophecy too seriously until we had proof," Max said.  
  
"Gee, thanks fearless leader. We are forever indebted to you for your mercy," she said sarcastically, "That is crap and you know it. I don't care if you stand on your head and cluck. You are nothing right now because you still betrayed your best friends."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"You shouldn't be apologising to me. You should talk to Michael and Rath."  
  
"Maria, where is Michael now?" Giles asked worriedly.  
  
"I don't know. He stormed off. I'm worried about him. His powers are completely out of whack. He was exploding windows all the way."  
  
"Can you tell him to come back? It could be dangerous. You remember what happened the last time they stormed off."  
  
"I- I can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Uh.he cut me off." She sniffed. "Because I didn't say anything."  
  
"Oh dear."  
  
"What?"  
  
"They're separated. Michael's weak now. If a demon were to attack him, he won't be able to protect himself."  
  
"Believe me. Demons may be stupid, but I don't think they're stupid enough to attack him in this kind of mood."  
  
*************************** *******************************  
  
Michael grunted as the puke purple demon slammed his fist into his gut, sending him flying into a nearby tree. He'd gone to the park because he figured that there was nothing in the park that he could make explode and even if he did blow something up; there would be nobody there now to get hurt.  
  
Coughing and sputtering, he raised his hand and released his energy on the demon.then something strange happened. All the fallen leaves and garbage around the park flew about in a huge tornado of chaos. Michael's eyes widened in surprise. That hadn't happened in at least a year. All his control, what little control he had was gone.  
  
Taking advantage of the demon's moment of confusion, he turned and ran. It didn't take long for the demon to recover and start chasing after him. The demon was huge and heavy, so he wasn't very fast. That at least was a little good news. At least it was only one of them and not a whole pack, especially since all his fighting skills seemed to all go to.  
  
Michael's train of thought was interrupted when he tripped on a root and fell smack on his face. What he wouldn't give for Alex's power right now. He winced as the demon pounced. This was gonna hurt. He was surprised when all he felt was something gooey dropping on his head. He cracked one eye open to see Rath standing above him, holding a hand out to him.  
  
"Waiting to die, baby bro?"  
  
"Stop calling me that," he grumbled, dusting himself off.  
  
"Where's Maria?"  
  
"Don't know."  
  
"Huh. Shocking." Michael rolled his eyes and tried to clean himself off with his powers. Nothing happened. "Dude, this dependency's gonna be the death of the two of you."  
  
Michael raised an eyebrow at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"You and Maria. You're useless without each other. See? You can't fight and your powers are crap." Michael glared at him. "You cut her off didn't you?" He looked surprised. "C'mon, bro. We're the same person, basically, I'da done the same thing if I was as pissed off as you." Michael shrugged. "You just gotta think. Are you mad at her or mad at them?"  
  
"What? Rath, stop tryin' to look smart it doesn't suit you."  
  
"You do know you're dissing yourself, right?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
******************************* *******************************  
  
About an hour later, the Guerin brothers returned to the disaster site that was the training room. Faith had returned forty-five minutes before after leaving Rath to himself and now the whole group was awaiting their return in the slayer mansion.  
  
"Where's Larek?"  
  
"Gone. What happened to you?" asked Isabel.  
  
"Demon."  
  
"Huh. Guess they are stupid enough. Pay up, Maria," Spike said. She rolled her eyes and handed him ten bucks.  
  
"What?" Rath asked, confused.  
  
"Don't bother," Maria said, waving it off. "Anyway, Max, I think you have something to say?"  
  
"Subtle, Maria," Kyle commented.  
  
"Can we talk to you guys?"  
  
After apologies were made, the grovelling ensued and all was forgiven, the gang decided to make up over a couple of pizza's, courtesy of Max and Zan. The living room was covered with bodies, pizza boxes and soft drink bottles.  
  
"So, now that everybody's all happy again, can I ask a question?" Serena said. They all nodded. "What are you guys?"  
  
About half the room choked on their food. They'd forgotten about Serena and Oz, more importantly, that they didn't know about the aliens.  
  
"This is going to be a long night," Xander commented.  
  
"We should just make a booklet for new members. Something like, 'So you're going to join the Scooby Gang?'"  
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea Anya," said Max. She just shrugged and went back to her pizza.  
  
"It all started in 1947."  
  
********************************* ******************************* 


	18. The Wedding Chapter Eighteen

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm ba-ack. Got chapter eighteen here for ya. Read and enjoy the sappiness. :b  
  
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN  
  
Xander Harris walked slowly and dejectedly down the quiet street. The stars shone brightly in the clear, dark blue sky and the only sound was the scuffling of his sneakers on the cool concrete. He looked up as a red mustang pulled up beside him.  
  
"Hop in," Kyle said, "What the hell are you doing out here anyway?"  
  
"Anya kicked me out."  
  
"Trouble in paradise?"  
  
"No. The day before my wedding."  
  
******************************** *******************************  
  
"It's not funny!" Xander protested.  
  
Rath and Michael were doubled over with laughter after hearing about Xander's untimely removal from his house by his fiancé the night before his own wedding. It was a riot.  
  
"Wait 'til it's your turn, Anastasia," Xander grumbled. That shut them up.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Huh. The nickname still works. I gotta use it sometime," Zan said. The twins glared at him.  
  
"So, what do you want to do?" Max asked. Pretty much all the guys were hanging out at the Guerin apartment. It was the new Crashdown, only with no cheesy alien memorabilia. When all the girls got together, all the boys met at Rath and Michael's place for a night of gory videos, sloppy eating and no nookie.  
  
"I don't understand. Why did she kick him out?" asked Connor.  
  
"The groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding. It's a tradition," Spike answered. He was also kicked out of the Scooby mansion along with Giles, who opted to spend his time with Valenti and Wesley.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Bad luck," Oz stated simply. Serena was with the girls so he had decided to hang with the guys.  
  
Connor narrowed his eyes. "That's stupid."  
  
"Don't I know it," Xander complained. "I wonder what they're doing."  
  
"Come on, Xander, this is your last night as a free man. Stop sulking. We can get a little bachelor party action going," Kyle said, pulling a few beers.okay, three six packs.out of his duffel bag.  
  
"Now you're talking!" Spike exclaimed, pulling a bottle of whiskey out of nowhere.  
  
"Oh yeah. That makes a lot of sense. A drinking party half the people can't drink," Zan said.  
  
"What do you mean? Only two of here can't drink. The rest of us are fine," Rath pointed out. Zan flipped him off.  
  
"As it is drinking's the only pre-wedding ritual we can do anyway. We can't stare at naked chicks cause some people." Kyle looked at Michael, Rath and Alex. "Will give it away to their girlfriends. I don't know about you, but I'm not about to get my ass kicked by Maria and Isabel."  
  
"Or Anya for that matter," Xander added. They all nodded. That would be bad.  
  
"So what do we do?"  
  
"Cards?"  
  
"Too many people."  
  
"TV?"  
  
"Might as well."  
  
"What's on?"  
  
"Who cares?"  
  
"I wonder what the girls are doing."  
  
************************* ****************************  
  
"I can so see the look on his face!" Maria said laughing.  
  
Anya had just told them all the story of how she kicked Xander out of the house for good luck. All the girls were spread out in the living room, pizza boxes and ice-cream cartons littering the floor.  
  
"Wow. I still can't believe you guys are getting married," Cordelia said, "I never thought Xander would be the first one of us to go."  
  
"Our little boy's all grown up now," Buffy said wiping a fake tear away.  
  
"Oh, he's not little," Anya informed them, smiling. They stared at her.  
  
"Ew, Anya, too much information," Cordelia exclaimed tossing a pillow at her. It hit her square in the face. Anya threw it back, but it missed, hitting Serena in the eye.  
  
"Ow. Okay that's it. Pillow fight!" Serena howled, clutching a pillow in one hand and holding her eye with the other.  
  
An hour after the human/alien pillow war erupted, the girls collapsed in exhaustion.  
  
"That's the first pillow fight I've had in ages," Serena said wistfully, her eyes closed as she fought to catch her breath. "My eye hurts like hell."  
  
"Here, let me heal it," Isabel offered. A soft white glow surrounded her hands as she healed her eye. She opened her eyes, testing out the pain levels, before smiling her thanks to Isabel.  
  
"Jeepers Creepers, where'd you get those eyes?" Dawn joked. They stared at her. "What?"  
  
"Jeepers Creepers?"  
  
"I was introducing Connor to cartoons, okay? He kept watching Looney Toons with Elmer Fudd and Sylvester."  
  
"Ooooooohhhh," Maria sang in her best immature school voice.  
  
"So, Serena, the eyes?" Dawn said, blushingly trying to change the subject.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Your eyes. One's brown, one's grey."  
  
"It's a Native American beauty secret. It's called." She paused for effect, pretending to look for spies. "Contacts."  
  
Dawn pelted her with a pillow. "Duh. Why'd you change the colour? The grey's pretty."  
  
"I uh.I just have issues with the grey ones," she said. "Bad memories." She paused, staring out the window. "My father had grey eyes."  
  
"Your father?" Maria asked.  
  
"Yeah, well, he left us years ago. Ancient history. Let's get back to celebrating." Maria, seeing that this was a sore subject, got back on Dawn's back.  
  
"So...Dawnie. You and Connor, huh?"  
  
"There is nothing going on with me and Connor," she objected quickly.  
  
"Did I say that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay, fine, maybe I did. So, come on, give me some details, girl."  
  
"I swear. Nothing is going on! He's just.he's the only person in this group that's my age."  
  
"Mm-hmm. Right. I believe you."  
  
"It's true!"  
  
"Believe me, you can't hide anything from Maria," Liz warned, "It's easier to just tell her."  
  
"It's true! I-it's.okay, maybe he's a little cute," she admitted.  
  
"Ha! I knew it! You like him!"  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"Do no-, ugh, whatever."  
  
"I've seen him staring at you."  
  
"Really? No. I don't care." Maria raised an eyebrow at her. "Really, I don- okay, maybe a little."  
  
And so the teasing continued through the night. 'Twas the night before December.  
  
********************************** ******************************  
  
"Oh my god. I don't believe it," Isabel said to herself as Oz gave the toast at the reception. The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Nobody had cold feet, the guests showed up on time and most importantly, there was absolutely no supernatural interference. It was beautiful.  
  
Meanwhile, Alex sighed in relief as the day ended. It was a lot of work, but they managed to pull it off. They went through hell to keep all the problems away from their own personal Nazi so that she wouldn't go berserk and fry them all. He sighed again as he remembered all the events of the day.  
  
~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~**~  
  
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod."  
  
That was Xander's mantra as he paced up and down the room, wringing his hands and sweating like a pig. The male half of the Scooby Gang looked on in silence as their friend slowly went insane.  
  
"Xander, it's gonna be fine," Kyle said for what seemed like the billionth time.  
  
"How the hell do you know? The step. It's like, big. Huge. Jennifer Lopez's ass size," he went to the mini fridge and pulled out an orange soda, promptly spilling it all over himself.  
  
"Crap!" he exclaimed. "Man, see? I'm messing it up already. This is a bad idea."  
  
"This is not a bad idea," Rath assured him, passing a hand over his shirt, removing the stain. "See? All better."  
  
"Uh oh," Oz muttered.  
  
"Uh oh? What uh oh? What's with the uh-ohing?" Xander was starting to get hysterical.  
  
Oz simply showed them the layer of fur that was starting to cover his arm. "It's the nervous energy in this room. Xander's making me turn." His voice was getting more and more growl-y by the minute.  
  
"Can't you do a chant or something?" Alex asked.  
  
"It's not gonna work if he doesn't calm down. I have to get out of here."  
  
"What? No, you can't leave. Who will be the best man? Isabel will kill me and Anya." He trailed off as he dozed off to sleep. Rath blew off the tips of his fingers like in a cheesy western. Oz closed his eyes and breathed deeply, chanting quietly under his breath. The fur started to recede.  
  
"Good. How long does that last?" Alex asked.  
  
"Until someone wakes him up, basically," Rath answered.  
  
"Good, we'll leave him like that until it's time." Alex stopped to answer his ringing cell phone. "Hello? What! Nonono, Nicky, you can't." The guys gathered around to not-so-discreetly listen in to Alex's phone call. "But we have a gig in, like." he checked his watch. "Two hours. Where are we gonna get a new guitarist by then?" He listened for a little while longer before hanging up and pitching his phone across the room. Luckily, it landed on the couch and didn't break. "Why me?"  
  
"What's up, now?" Michael asked.  
  
"Nicky bailed on us. He says he has to baby-sit his little sister tonight."  
  
"And.?"  
  
"And, he's our lead guitarist, and we're screwed." He sighed and banged his head on the wall. "Hope Maria doesn't mind doing a drum and bass set."  
  
"I can play," Oz offered. "Just tell me the chords and I'm good."  
  
"You sure?" Oz nodded. "Okay, 'nother problem solved. That's gonna be it, right?"  
  
'Michael?'  
  
'Yeah. What's up? The Nazi getting on your nerves? I could get Rath to put her to sleep,' Michael replied telepathically.  
  
'No, no. Izzy's not even in here. She went to check on the flowers or something. No. Anya's really hung over. A little on the "still drunk" side.'  
  
'What?! What did you do last night? And while we're at it, how could Isabel not notice?'  
  
'Ava's been mind warping her,' she said matter-of-factly, 'I guess she tried the hangover cure. You know the one. Aspirin, sleep and a beer in the morning?' Michael shrugged. He seemed to remember Hank doing that. He never stopped at one beer, though so it couldn't have worked very well. 'Well, she didn't stop at one beer, let me tell ya. Anyway, Anya just puked all over her dress and she's acting like a raving lunatic, saying she's gonna summon some demon guy and get back her powers so she can exact revenge on Xander for putting her through this stress. So, Faith says Rath's good at these things?'  
  
'I'll send him over.wait, why didn't Faith call him?'  
  
'Ava can't keep the mind warp any more, so she went to distract Isabel. It takes mass concentration.'  
  
'Right.' Michael stopped talking while he sent his brother over to the lion's den.  
  
'How are things on your front?' Maria asked.  
  
'Rath put Xander to sleep. The nervous energy was making Oz turn into a werewolf. Your guitarist isn't coming.'  
  
'What?!'  
  
'.so Oz is gonna fill in.'  
  
'I am going to kill Nicky...'  
  
'Yeah, well, it's fixed now. We're all fine once Izzy doesn't find out.'  
  
"Michael? Michael! Snap out of it!" Alex yelled. The pressure of fixing everything and hiding his emotions from Isabel was heavy. This was way too hard. There was no way he was going through this crap again.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Xander's parents just called. They're stuck in the middle of the desert. Their car broke down. Mr. Harris says it looks like his wife is lookin' to make human barbeque. Lobster style."  
  
"What?" Connor asked.  
  
"She's gonna cook him alive," Spike explained.  
  
"Aw, man. The wedding is starting in an hour. What next? Is Khivar gonna attack us now? How 'bout Pierce? He might as well come back from the dead and shoot us in the next five minutes," Alex was starting to get hysterical. Zan slapped him.  
  
"It ain't even your wedding, Opie," he said.  
  
"Since when do you call me Opie? The only person to call me that was.you're channelling Lonnie. Great," he threw his hands up in the air.  
  
"Okay, sheriff? You go pick up the Xander's parents," Max said taking control. "Oz? Go get a guitar, find somewhere far away from Alex, Xander and Anya, do some chanting. Connor, go distract Isabel. Ask her questions about weddings or something." Connor nodded and ran off to find the Christmas/ Wedding Nazi. "The rest of us will try to calm Alex down."  
  
Just then, Rah walked back in to the room. His hair, which he slicked back for the wedding, was sticking up everywhere, his shirt was untucked and he was sweating.  
  
"What the hell happened to you?" asked Zan, holding back his laughter.  
  
"A drunk Anya is not a happy Anya," he said, passing a hand over himself, fixing the mess. He flopped down on the couch. "I gotta teach you how to do it, baby bro, then you can do it next time."  
  
"No thanks. Putting people to sleep is your job," Michael said shuddering. It would be a good power to have, but not if he had to through what his brother just did. Maria sent him images. Not good.  
  
"Wuss," Rath said. "Hey, where'd everybody go?" He'd just noticed that half the room was gone. Max quickly filled him in on what happened. "Damn. This is gonna be hard. Sure you don't want me to put Izzy to sleep?"  
  
"Not. Then she'll know something's up and we'll never hear the end of it." Rath shrugged. "Well, it'll be over in a couple of hours. What more could go wrong?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Luckily nothing else went wrong. After that, the event went on without a hitch. They woke the bride and groom, prepped them up and sent them on their way ten minutes before show time. They didn't have time to get scared again and they came out looking fresh and ready.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Xander Harris looked around the decorated hall in amazement. This was it. His wedding. He'd bet anything that three years ago, nobody in Sunnydale would have expected this. As he looked out at his friend relatives, he let a little bit of nervousness settle. What if he screwed this up? He'd never be able to forgive himself. Anya deserved more than that. His eyes settled on his parents. They didn't even seem to be fighting for once. What was that weird look on their faces? Was that pride? That was odd. He decided to look away before the perplexed look settled.  
  
The whole congregation silenced as the music started up. The three bridesmaids, Buffy, Willow and Tara, started their walk down the flower- lined aisle over the plush purple carpet. They each wore long lilac empire line dresses that flowed elegantly to the floor. The halter bodice was a rich dark purple that matched their long gloves, which were a bit ridiculous as an accessory considering they were in the desert. Each carried a white bouquet of flowers, accentuated with tiny purple flowers. They looked beautiful.  
  
As they got into position at the front of the room, the music changed and all the guests stood up to welcome the bride. Xander gasped as he saw the woman he was about to spend the rest of his life with slowly walk down the aisle. Giles was giving her away since they were all quite certain that her own father was long dead. She had a bright smile on her face and Xander could see that it was taking all her willpower not to drag the old watcher down the aisle faster.  
  
She was wearing a long white dress with a fitted bodice covered in embroidered, hand beaded lace, held up with two thin diamante straps. She had a full-layered tuille skirt that fluttered elegantly over the floor. She also had while gloves and a light white veil, topped off with a tiara. She held a bouquet of lilac roses.wait a minute, roses don't come in that colour, do they? Xander looked over at Isabel questioningly. She just smiled and wiggled her fingers. Right. Alien magic. Anya finally made it down the aisle and ceremony began.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~  
  
Xander squeezed Anya's hand as Oz finished his speech. It was really short. Oz never was one for words. Anya smiled up at her husband and leaned in for a kiss. Hundreds of years of being a vengeance demon and here she was, married to Xander in Roswell, New Mexico. She didn't know how she managed to get to this point, but she was the happiest she's ever been.  
  
At the front of the room on the stage, the Whits set up their equipment. Oz was introduced to the drummer, who recognised him from when he'd seen the Dingoes in California the year before.  
  
"Hey. We're the Whits," Maria announced, " We'd like to congratulate the couple." She winked as the gang laughed at her attempt at professionalism. " We want to invite you up for your first dance as Mr. And Mrs. Harris."  
  
The group watched as Maria sang, the band played and the couple danced.  
  
When winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
Yeah, that's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
I'm sure you've heard these words before  
  
And I know it's hard for you to trust them once more  
  
You're afraid it all might end  
  
And a broken heart is scared of breaking again  
  
But you've gotta believe me  
  
I'll never leave you  
  
You'll never cry long as I am there  
  
And I will always be there  
  
You will never be without love  
  
When winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
When lies become the truth  
  
Oh you know then baby,  
  
That's when I'll stop lovin'  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you yeah  
  
"Ow, Xander, that was my toe," Anya complained.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
As long as sunlight lights the sky  
  
Light of love will be found in these eyes of mine (these eyes of mine)  
  
And I will shine that light for you  
  
You're the only one, I'll ever give this heart to  
  
What I'm trying to say is, nothing will change this (ahh...)  
  
There'll be no time you won't find me there (find me there)  
  
Cause I will always be there  
  
You will always have all my love  
  
When winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever (yeah)  
  
When lies become the truth (ohhhh)  
  
Well you know then baby,  
  
That's when I'll stop loving'  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
And when this world doesn't turn anymore  
  
When the stars all decide to stop shining  
  
'Til then I'm gonna to be by your side  
  
Gonna be loving you forever  
  
Every day of my life  
  
Ohh...baby...  
  
Well you know then baby  
  
That's when I'll stop loving  
  
That's when I'll stop loving  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
When winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
When lies become the truth (truth... yeah)  
  
Well you know then baby,  
  
That's when I'll stop loving'  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you (ohh...)  
  
When winter comes in summer (yeah)  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
When lies become the truth  
  
That's when I'll stop loving (well you know then baby)  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop babe  
  
I'll stop babe  
  
Loving youWhen winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
Yeah, that's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
I'm sure you've heard these words before  
  
And I know it's hard for you to trust them once more  
  
You're afraid it all might end  
  
And a broken heart is scared of breaking again  
  
But you've gotta believe me  
  
I'll never leave you  
  
You'll never cry long as I am there  
  
And I will always be there  
  
You will never be without love  
  
When winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
When lies become the truth  
  
Oh you know then baby,  
  
That's when I'll stop lovin'  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you yeah  
  
As long as sunlight lights the sky  
  
Light of love will be found in these eyes of mine (these eyes of mine)  
  
And I will shine that light for you  
  
You're the only one, I'll ever give this heart to  
  
What I'm trying to say is, nothing will change this (ahh..)  
  
There'll be no time you won't find me there (find me there)  
  
Cause I will always be there  
  
You will always have all my love  
  
When winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever (yeah)  
  
When lies become the truth (ohhhh)  
  
Well you know then baby,  
  
That's when I'll stop lovin'  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
And when this world doesn't turn anymore  
  
When the stars all decide to stop shining  
  
Til then I'm gonna to be by your side  
  
Gonna be loving you forever  
  
Every day of my life  
  
Ohh..baby..  
  
Well you know then baby  
  
That's when I'll stop lovin'  
  
That's when I'll stop lovin'  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
"That was such a beautiful wedding," Liz commented to Max as she leaned against him, watching the happy couple dance.  
  
"Yeah, Isabel did a great job."  
  
"Xander and Anya are perfect for each other. And look how happy they are." She lightly fingered the soft lilac petals of the flowers she caught. " I hope our wedding will be this perfect."  
  
"It will be," Max assured her, kissing her forehead, " In fact, it'll be better, because it'll be ours."  
  
When winter comes in summer  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
When lies become the truth (truth... yeah)  
  
Well you know then baby,  
  
That's when I'll stop lovin'  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you (ohh..)  
  
When winter comes in summer (yeah)  
  
When there's no more forever  
  
When lies become the truth  
  
That's when I'll stop loving (well you know then baby)  
  
That's when I'll stop loving you  
  
That's when I'll stop babe  
  
I'll stop babe  
  
Loving you  
  
******************************** *****************************  
  
See what happens when someone without a romantic bone in their body tries to write a wedding? Did you like my sorry attempt at romance? Crap! Oh hell. The next part'll be better. Promise. 


	19. Chapter Nineteen

DISCLAIMER: I'm broke, didn't you hear? No es mio.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, all! I'm back. Finally. I'm glad you guys liked the Wedding. I really wasn't sure about that. Big hurdle. Weddings are new territory for me, so.yeah. Anyway, I wrote this chapter ages ago, but wouldn't you know, I lost most of it? I think the original was better, but.oh well, too bad. Tell me what you think, 'kay? I live for feedback.  
  
CHAPTER NINETEEN  
  
The moon shone brightly in the sky, its cool yellow rays lighting up the desert sands. Below a pointed rock formation, a party raged on. Music wafted in the breeze as the people celebrated the marriage of two friends, the return of six friends and the addition of two others.  
  
Near the base of the cliff in which the aliens were born, food was displayed on a table made of rock, thanks to a little Czech magic. Michael wrapped his arms around his love and stared out at the happy forms of his mingling friends. They were all relaxed, enjoying the night and ignoring its secrets.  
  
"It's beautiful," she stated. Michael looked down at her. "We should cherish this moment."  
  
He nodded. He felt it, too. The feeling that this would be the last time they were all together. A tiny sense of foreboding that kept dancing in the back of his brain. He tilted her head up and placed a soft kiss on her lips.  
  
Suddenly, a white blast appeared above their heads, breaking pieces of rock from the outcrop and showering them with pebbles. All the dancing stopped, the happy faces dropped and the relaxed postures disintegrated.  
  
"Well isn't this nice!" a voice yelled from above. Standing there, above their heads, stood a boy. His face was twisted in a sarcastic smile that served only to reveal his plan for attack. His cold eyes scanned the group. Some teenagers, some adults, some aliens, some monsters, some human, some supernatural. All a small threat.  
  
"You didn't even invite me to your little party. I'm hurt, really." He bowed his head in mock offence. "So, Rath, you gonna steal his wife too?"  
  
Everyone turned to Rath in astonishment. He was still glaring at Nicholas. They looked between the two in confusion. Nicholas smirked. Just the reaction he wanted.  
  
"What? You didn't tell them what you did to me? How this is mostly your fault?"  
  
"Rath?" Faith said, looking between him and the runt.  
  
"I didn't steal her, Nikaid, she left on her own! It is not my fault!" he yelled.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that. It might be true someday," he replied sarcastically. He looked around at everyone else. "Oh. All your little friends feel out of the loop. Don't worry, I'll give the whole story." Rath clenched his fists. "You see, kiddies, way back when, Uncle Nicholas had a girlfriend and he loved her very much." He stopped suddenly and pointed a gun at Faith. "Tell them what her name was!"  
  
"Kaylanna," he ground out, glaring at the gloating boy.  
  
"Very good. At least he remembers her name," he sneered, "Now, Nikaid was ready to propose to this girl. He could see the wedding in his head. His brother and sister would stand beside him as his future sister-in-law walked down the aisle with her best friend.who's that Rath? Want to fill in the faces?"  
  
"Cortenia and I."  
  
"My aren't we a good guesser."  
  
"Who are these people, Rath?" asked Zan. Rath sighed. They didn't need to know this.  
  
"Cortenia was my best friend on Antar.ever since we were thirteen," he said, "Her twin sister was Kaylanna. She had a raging crush on me."  
  
"Bingo! Though you might know her as the ever defiant Courtney," Nicholas stated, "But that's beside the point. Can we all guess why Nikaid's, my, vision never materialised?"  
  
"She was in love with Rath," Maria said.  
  
"Ding ding! Give the girl a prize! Now! Can we guess the brother and sister? Hmm?" He looked at the blank faces. "Nobody?" he taunted. "Okay, well, some of you have already met my brother, Cazrileen. Riley for short." Riley stepped out from behind a rock, gun in hand.  
  
"Hey, Buffy. Miss me?" he asked. "Faith."  
  
"Fish boy," she sneered. There was a loud blast right near her feet and she jumped back.  
  
"Do not speak to my brother like that."  
  
They turned to find Fred with a gun trained on Faith.  
  
Nicholas smirked. "My sister, Feraahna. Mindwarp is such a funny thing. You didn't even notice the smell," he said, gesturing to the vampires. "Pity."  
  
Lonnie came up from behind Nicholas and smiled evilly at them.  
  
"Hey lover. Still with that tramp, huh?" she sneered. Rath was seething. His hand started to glow red. "Say bye-bye 'cause dat ho is dead," she spat, pointing her gun at Faith and pulling the trigger in one fluid movement. On reflex, Faith raised her hand and deflected the beam. It hit Nicholas square in the chest. He flew back and hit the boulder, cracking it, before sliding to the ground.  
  
Fred screeched and went to shoot Faith. Buffy spun around and kicked her in the head, making her drop the gun. Fred blocked a punch from Buffy and kicked her in the stomach. Then, she did a spin kick and sent Buffy flying. Fred put two fingers between her lips and whistled.  
  
Suddenly, a whole army appeared on all sides of them. They were surrounded.  
  
"Look familiar, Rath?" Riley taunted, "Ready to burn again?"  
  
"You!" Rath growled.  
  
"Yep. I lit the fire. It was fun to watch you burn, general. Love how you damned your people."  
  
"Don't even bother to ask. Of course I started the whole evil witch thing," Fred said nonchalantly, "Really, we weren't expecting that, but it worked out for the best now didn't it?"  
  
While they talked, the army began to close in on them. Maria looked left and right, counting the numbers. There were about a hundred soldiers. All armed with laser guns. Really, really bad odds.  
  
'What are we going to do? They have guns and they outnumber us and they have powers. We're gonna die!'  
  
'We won't die, Maria,' Michael reassured her.  
  
'Do you have a plan? 'Course not. What am I saying? You're Michael, of course you don't have a plan!'  
  
Michael grabbed Maria's hand and squeezed it. 'We brought weapons, remember?' Maria sighed and nodded her head. 'Okay, we'll slowly back to the table so they don't notice.'  
  
Together, they inched towards the table. Maria pulled off the tablecloth to reveal a chest full of weapons. They threw it open and drew their swords.  
  
"Old fashioned, isn't it, Rath?" a voice said from the cliff. They turned away from the army to the man that stood tall on the cliff. Serena gasped. "I want the Royal Four to hand themselves over."  
  
"Never! Not without a fight!" Rath growled.  
  
"Really?" Khivar said smugly. "Not even for mommy and daddy?" With that, he gestured behind him. Four soldiers appeared at his side, dragging a bound and gagged Jim and Amy Valenti, and Philip and Diane Evans. Rath and Michael growled under their breaths. Nobody touched their family.  
  
"I knew that would get to you," Khivar stated. He grabbed the nearest human, who just happened to be Amy and pulled her against his body. He pulled out a knife and dragged the edge down her cheek. She was shaking in fear. The group tensed as a trickle of blood escaped her. Khivar removed her gag and then shoved her to her knees at the edge of the cliff. Jim Valenti struggled against his guard to get to his wife. Khivar turned and punched him in the gut. He then turned back to Amy and snapped her head back by her dark brown locks.  
  
"Such a pretty face," her murmured. His tongue snaked out of his mouth as he traced the thin line of blood with the tip. "I want the Royal four. All of them. You will be executed and the throne will be entirely mine. Antar will have no hope."  
  
"You're crazy!" Amy shouted at him. He slapped her in the face.  
  
"Quiet wench!" he screamed, "You know, I knew a woman like you. Mouth too big for her body. I got rid of her and her little weasel son, too. I should do just the same to you." He ran his hand down her body. "After I have a little fun, of course." He turned her head towards Valenti. "Maybe in front of old Jimmy here." He twisted her head toward Maria. "Or maybe your daughter would like a show." Maria's fists clenched at her sides. "That'll be for later, though." He flung her back and glared at them once more. "Well? Your parents or yourselves?"  
  
"Can you make a shield?" Michael asked Willow, still staring up at Khivar.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
In response, Michael took quick aim and fired an energy blast at Khivar. He put up a bright green shield much like Max's. Khivar scowled.  
  
"Very well." Khivar made eye contact with the head of his army. The soldier nodded and the army began to fire at will. Willow quickly raised her hands, eyes turning black, and the air rippled around them. The laser beams bounced off of Willow's invisible shield, taking out the entire front line. The soldiers moved back before firing again. The lasers had no effect. After a while the army stopped shooting, stumped. One of the braver men walked forwards and touched the air in front of the group. It was solid. He looked up at his leader.  
  
"Sire?"  
  
Khivar growled in frustrated. "Keep shooting. They have to weaken sometime."  
  
The army resumed firing at the invisible wall.  
  
Maria looked up as she heard a scream from the top of the cliff. She would never figure out how she heard it above all the gunfire. She ran over to Willow.  
  
"You have to make an opening. Let me out," she said, hurriedly.  
  
"Are you crazy? You'll get killed!" cried Dawn, who was standing nearby.  
  
"I have to! It's my mom up there. I can't let anything happen to her. Especially not by Khivar."  
  
"Well, pretty soon you won't have to worry about that," Willow panted, sweat dripping down her face. Just then, there was a cry of pain as Wesley got shot in the leg.  
  
"Okay, Maxwell, go heal Wesley and for Christ sake stay in the middle of the group. Khivar can't get to you, it's all over if he does," Michael ordered. "That goes for you too, Zan. Go lend Willow some energy or something." The two Antarian kings nodded and went off to do their jobs. Zan put his hands on Willow's shoulder and concentrated on transferring his energy into her. The air around them rippled as the shield strengthened.  
  
"We can't just stand here all night." Rath exclaimed. "Willow, can we shoot them from the inside?  
  
"I.I don't know," she said, "Try it."  
  
Rath raised his hand and pointed it at the army outside. He released his energy on them, bracing himself for a possible backfire. Four soldiers exploded into a pile of dust. Seeing results, all the other aliens joined in.  
  
"Guys! I can't hold it anymore!" Willow cried seconds before the shield collapsed.  
  
As if in a trance, Alex, Isabel, Rath and Faith raised their hands, palm-to- palm, and stared straight ahead. The air around them swirled in a thick white cloud until it finally settled as a solid white bubble. The protectors levitated to the top of the bubble as it solidified. Suddenly, their heads snapped up in unison and, with a shriek, a red beam of light shot out of their heads.  
  
Outside, Khivar's army stared in shock as a red light seeped out of the circle, spreading across the desert air. The light melted their guns as it passed, expanding to about a half-mile radius, before being sucked back into the bubble.  
  
Slowly, the protectors drifted to the ground, coming out of their joint trance. The shield slowly disintegrated.  
  
"Whoa," Kyle said, picking up an axe. "Let's do this."  
  
The gang quickly picked their jaws up from the ground and grabbed their swords, and thus, the war began.  
  
******************************** ******************************  
  
Oz fought viciously, protecting his girlfriend with all he had. He was a bit rusty, but once he got into it, it was like old times with the Scooby gang, battling in the cemeteries of Sunnydale.  
  
"Serena, snap out of it!" he exclaimed. She was still staring at the cliff blankly, her mouth hanging open. She didn't seem to even notice the fighting around her, or the number of soldiers that had tried to attack her. She was still living in the shock. Khivar was.  
  
"Serena!" Oz's voice pulled her out of her trance. "Take this." He handed her his sword. She stared at it, confused.  
  
"Huh? Wait! Danny! What will you use?" She got her answer when a thick layer of fur covered his body and he dropped down on all fours, a growling ball of teeth. She watched in horror as he pounced on the nearest group of soldiers, ripping them nearly to shreds. Oz had left the building. She spun around and sliced the head off the big man that tried to sneak up on her. No time to think about it now. Fight.  
  
Spike did his best to defend himself, leading the soldiers to people who could actually fight back. He growled as he got kicked in the balls. That was it. He lashed out, changing into his game face, snatching a weapon off somebody and slicing off that bastard's head. He braced himself for a wave of pain that never came.  
  
"Hold on." He punched somebody in the face. "I can hit these." He put the man out of his misery and sliced him down the middle. He exploded in a cloud of dust. "The Big Bad is back!"  
  
The stronger fighters fought alone or in pairs, while the weaker set stayed together in groups of three or four. Connor fought with Angel for a while, their natural father/son synchronisation coming in to play.well, natural to them, anyway. It was probably a vampire thing. They knew each other's moves and fought accordingly, together forming an unstoppable duo. A team that Angel had always pictured when he thought of his son. There was never any sense in pretending that he could keep Connor away from violence. It was in his blood and he'd accepted that, even since he was a baby. The fight was getting harder. Some of the soldiers had started converting their melted guns into swords with their powers, and the rest were following suit. It took away their slight advantage. But still, the gang was more practiced than they were, having always depended on archaic weapons. The army was gun- spoiled and unaccustomed to hand-to-hand combat. That was their Achilles heel and the gang was not afraid to use it.  
  
Maria armed herself with a crossbow and ran up the side of the cliff, killing any soldiers that stood guard. As she neared the top, she slowed down. Being as quiet as she could, she watched.  
  
"Impertinent brats!" Khivar yelled. His hand shot out, blasting a rock into minute grains of sand. He walked over to Amy and yanked her up by the hair. "You! These are yours! I'll make you watch as I kill them."  
  
"They're not all mine."  
  
"I don't care! You'll all watch. I'll tear your little Maria apart limb by limb, cell by cell, and make sure she feels every minute of it. I think I'll tape it, too. Should make for a good movie," he said coldly, "Think the commander will enjoy it?" He looked over to the Evanses. "And Zan.I have special plans for him. The both of them. And don't worry. You won't miss out on the show."  
  
Maria watched in disgust as he rambled on. Staring straight at his heart, she raised her cross bow. Aimed.  
  
Then all went black.  
  
****************************** *******************************  
  
Maria groaned in pain as she slowly regained consciousness. It was dark. She opened her eyes, but quickly shut them as the light penetrated them, making her headache worse. She tried to rub her head, but nothing happened. She couldn't move. Her hands were tied around a pole behind her back. She could hear voices. Khivar. Braving the pain, she slowly opened her eyes. All she could see was blurred figures. A brown one was walking around, blurry sticks, that she figured were his arms, flailing around. The blur suddenly stopped. She closed her eyes, pretending to still be unconscious.  
  
"It wakes," the voice sneered in a low voice. It sounded like it was right in front of her face. She opened her eyes, blinking to clear her vision. "Have a nice nap?" She could finally see him.and he was smiling. The coldness of his piercing, grey eyes took away any notions of it being friendly. "How nice of you to join us." He pulled out her crossbow, making a big show of examining it. "Nice weapon. Bit archaic but." He shrugged, and then trained it on her. "I take it you're here to hand over the Royal Four."  
  
"Never!"  
  
"It doesn't matter. My army will defeat your little group and bring them back to me."  
  
"Your army is already defeated."  
  
Khivar scowled at her, then walked over to the edge of the cliff. She was right. The small group of twenty something was making good headway through his army of a hundred with practically no casualties. Half of his army was already dead. He growled in anger.  
  
********************************** ******************************  
  
Michael suddenly stopped fighting as he felt something through his connection with Maria. It was.love. She was sending all her love to him in waves, as if this would be the last time she sent it. It felt like she was saying a goodbye. A soldier took advantage of his distraction by pilfering his sword and pouncing. To his surprise, the sword stopped midair. He didn't have time to think about it before he exploded into a cloud of dust.  
  
********************************* ********************************  
  
"It's over, Khivar. Or is it Kyden?" Maria taunted. She smiled at the shocked look on his face. Just the reaction she was looking for. "We know who you really are, Khivar, a bitter, pathetic little boy who was passed over for the throne by his big sister. You couldn't handle that, could you? The fact that she was better than you?"  
  
"Silence!"  
  
Maria went on as if he hadn't said anything. "No. They should have seen that she was incompetent and dethroned her, giving you control of the whole planet. But you accepted it for a while. All you would have to do is wait until you're old enough to be able to rule without an advisor and then you could kill her off and take over." Khivar was fuming. The crossbow in his hands shook as rage coursed through his veins. Maria hid a smile. She was getting to him. Good. "But that plan got tossed out the window when Deimon was born. Even if you killed her, that little baby would bypass you and take over the throne, and you would still have nothing, not to mention that if you killed the both of them as Kyden, the public wouldn't accept you. So you created your alter ego, Khivar. Am getting close?"  
  
******************************* *****************************  
  
Michael sprinted towards the cliff, flinging soldiers aside left and right as he passed. He was halfway up the cliff when his path was blocked by two people he never thought he'd ever see again, Tess and Lonnie.  
  
"Move," he growled.  
  
"Aw, is that anyway to treat your sister?" Tess said.  
  
"You're not my sister. You were never my sister."  
  
"Yeah, well, not technically, but we were close, right? Remember that summer when we worked on your powers?"  
  
"Old news, now move."  
  
"You can't win," Lonnie said. "Khivar is the rightful."  
  
Lonnie was cut off as both she and Tess were flung to the side and Michael continued his sprint to the top of the cliff.  
  
******************************* *******************************  
  
"How do you think your faction will react when they find out that their leader is nothing but a snivelling, whiny, spoiled royal brat, jealous of his big sister and nephew?"  
  
"It doesn't matter now, they're dead, have been for years. I'm the last in the royal line. The throne of Carnath is rightfully mine no matter what you tell them. Antar is just icing on the cake. I don't even need that pathetic waste of planet space, I only want the granolith."  
  
"You have it! Tess handed it to you on a silver platter."  
  
"Yeah, well. This is more fun."  
  
"You know, he's still alive." Khivar raised an eyebrow at her. "Deimon. He's still alive."  
  
"You lie! He's dead!"  
  
"He's not. His ship crashed on Antar. The Queen adopted him. You might know him better as Rath."  
  
"You lie!" Khivar growled.  
  
"I do not!"  
  
Khivar's hands started to glow a bright red as his fists clenched with rage. He raised his hands, levitating Maria high above his head. Without a word, he raised her crossbow and shot her in the heart. He cackled as her petit form hung lifelessly in the dead air. Suddenly, he felt his body slam into a boulder, and the sickening crack of his bones colliding with the hard rock.  
  
Michael watched as his love dropped from fifty feet in the air, a sickening thump resounding through the air as her dead body crashed to the ground.  
  
"NOOOO!!!!"  
  
Not giving Khivar a second thought, Michael ran over to Maria. "You're fine.you're not dead.just resting." he muttered, tears coursing down his cheeks as he shakily undid the ropes that bound her to the pole. "Maria?" He shook her gently. No response. "Maria?" Cradling her head in his lap, he rocked back and forth, calling her name in broken sobs.  
  
********************************* ******************************  
  
Arching his sword through the air, Rath sliced the head off the final soldier. Looking around, he saw everyone hunched over, panting in exhaustion. Serena was bent over a creature that he could only assume was Oz, running her hands through a thick layer of fur. It was surprising that a werewolf that he had seen rip at least twenty soldiers into tiny pieces, could be rubbing up on the small brunette, practically purring like a cat. He'd always thought werewolves were dog creatures.  
  
This was by far the worst battle they'd ever fought and the victory was sweet.wait, the group looked smaller than usual.  
  
That's when they heard it: an animalistic scream, heavy in pain and grief, coming from the cliff. The Scooby Gang looked at each other before breaking out into a sprint in the direction of the cry. They leaped over dead soldier bodies and fallen weapons, and ran straight past the unconscious bodies of Lonnie and Tess.  
  
****************************** **************************** "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"  
  
Khivar groaned as the screeching sound reached the ears of his battered body. Looking over at the hybrid body of Rath, of Michael, shaking with sobs and cradling the human's head in his lap, he smiled. He may not have won yet, but he still left an impression. Deimon. His nephew. His sister's son. That whiny snivelling brat was always a thorn in his side. He'd killed a part of him there, but soon, he'd be back to finish the job.  
  
Muttering an almost silent spell, a portal opened and Khivar fell through to his own world.  
  
****************************** ****************************  
  
Rath was the first up the hill. At first, he didn't see anything, but then he heard it. The gut wrenching sobs. Looking across he saw a body, much like his own, kneeling in front of something, back shaking with grief. The others came up beside him, all looking in the same direction he was.  
  
"Oh my god," Isabel mumbled. "Max, do something."  
  
Max slowly walked over to the rocking figure and put a hand on his shoulder. Michael didn't even acknowledge his presence.  
  
"Michael..." Max didn't know what else to say.  
  
Michael's head snapped up suddenly, as if he just noticed someone there.  
  
"Max!" He grabbed Max's hand and pulled him down to his level. "Heal her. You can heal her, right? You have to." Michael stared into the eyes of his best friend. "Please."  
  
Pulling the arrow out of her flesh, Max laid his hand on her chest and concentrated on repairing the hole, restarting her heart and reviving the dead. Slowly he released his power.  
  
And nothing happened.  
  
With a sigh, he opened his eyes, shaking his head at Michael. She was already dead.  
  
"No. Nonono, you have to try harder, Max." Michael looked around frantically. "Zan? What about you? Rath? Anybody?"  
  
Both Rath and Zan dropped to their knees and held their hands above her still body, not wanting to give Michael false hope, but not wanting to give up without trying. Still, nothing happened. Her chest remained still, and her eyes remained open, staring blankly at the sky above.  
  
Shaking his head, Rath dropped his hand to his side. Looking at her expressionless face, he gently closed her eyes and put an arm around his brother.  
  
"She's gone," he murmured. "Come on."  
  
Michael looked around at the tear-stained faces of the rest of the group. One was gone, one that could never be replaced. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he gently eased her head onto the ground before abruptly standing up and charging down the hill. The gang spared a glance at each other before running after him. They found him about halfway down, standing over two bodies. He stared at Lonnie, eyes glowing red, face set in a scowl.  
  
"Where is he?" he spat.  
  
"I don't know," she said, snidely.  
  
Michael cocked his head to one side, and she levitated at least a foot above the ground. She gasped as her feet dangled in the air.  
  
"Where is he? Where would Khivar go?" he growled.  
  
"I won't betray him. He will rule the planets, and he will kill you and the rest."  
  
"Not a good time to be loyal, Lonnie," said Zan as he saw the glow in Michael's eyes grow brighter.  
  
"Why? He won't kill me. He don't have it in 'im."  
  
Michael squinted at her, then turned away. Lonnie smiled smugly at him, behind his back, only to frown as she felt a burning sensation that started in the pit of her stomach and spread to the rest of her body.  
  
The Scooby gang watched in amazement as Lonnie's body started shaking uncontrollably. Lonnie screamed as her body exploded from the inside, pieces of flesh flying in every direction as her cells scattered into the night air.  
  
Michael had already turned to Tess, red eyes glaring at her slight form. With a slight gesture of his head, her body lifted off the ground.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"I- I don't know."  
  
He raised his hand, palm outstretched, as if he was going to blast her. Tess flinched closed her eyes in preparation for the blast. She cracked one eye open when the blast never came. He was still staring straight at her. When she opened her eyes to look back at him, he closed his hand a bit. Tess grabbed at her throat, gasping for breath as he pressed down on her oesophagus, cutting of her air supply.  
  
"Mich-Michael, please," she pleaded.  
  
"This is not Michael. There is no Michael. He died with Maria," he growled. "This is Deimon. Now, where is that bastard?"  
  
"I'm sorry abo-about Maria."  
  
He tightened his hands, his powers choking her more.  
  
"Michael, it's me, Tess. Remember? We spent that summer together? I helped you with your." she gasped. "...with your powers?"  
  
He ignored her. He put his hand on her stomach, then smirked. "No baby."  
  
"Please, Michael.my son."  
  
"Will be raised by his father and not a murdering bitch like you," he bellowed.  
  
"P-p-please, d-don't," she begged, voice straining. For a while, all he did was stare at her. Then he dropped his hand, releasing the invisible pressure his powers had on her throat. Turning around, he stalked back up the hill as she dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.  
  
"Tie her up," he called, to nobody in particular, as he left.  
  
Rath waited a few minutes before following his brother up the hill. He found him once again cradling Maria's body in his lap, stroking her cheek tenderly.  
  
"She's not coming back, is she?" he whispered, looking up at his brother, brown eyes filled with tears. Rath shook his head. Michael's head slumped in defeat as he sighed. He bent his head down and first kissed her forehead, then her eyes, her nose, then finally her lips. Rath looked on in amazement as a small light appeared at the point where their lips met. He watched as it slowly spread to engulf their bodies in its ethereal glow. The pair slowly levitated until they hovered ten feet above the ground, the light surrounding them getting brighter. Soon, Rath had to shield his eyes from the light. It started changing colour. From green, to blue, to purple, to red, to yellow, then finally a blinding white. By then the whole group had returned to the top of the hill and were all looking on at the couple. The couple started drifting back to the ground, as the light grew dimmer and dimmer, until it finally disappeared as they touched the ground.  
  
Then something amazing happened.  
  
Maria started kissing him back.  
  
Michael's eyes snapped open as he felt her small hands caressing his face. Grinning wildly, he engulfed her into a hug. Hands running over her body, making sure she was real, that she was alive. His lips finding the pulse point in her neck, feeling the relieving thump of her heart beat.  
  
"Maria," a voice cried in happiness. It was Amy Deluca-Valenti, tied up with the rest of the parents.  
  
As one, Michael and Maria turned to her. Michael waved his hand in the general direction of the parents and the ropes, fell to the floor, releasing them from their prison. Amy ran over to her daughter as they opened their arms to her, welcoming her into their hug.  
  
"How did that happen?" Liz asked in amazement.  
  
"Don't question these things," Rath said, wisely, "Just be thankful that they happen."  
  
********************************** *******************************  
  
Whew! End of chapter 19. Damn, that was a hard rewrite. I would have half 'n halfed it, but, really, would you have wanted that? Anyway, the story's winding down as you can tell. I'm kinda getting tired of writing it. I have ideas, yeah, but no patience to write them, so here's the deal. You have three choices. I can either: End it next chapter with an epilogue-y type thing. You know, flash back to what happens next? Continue it for a couple of more chapters, just with a lot of fast- forwarding. Do a sequel. Hey, Khivar's still at large, and there's an unfulfilled prophecy. That's what sequels are made of, isn't it?  
  
You decide. I'll do whatever you want me to. I am your willing slave.well, not really, but you know what I mean. 


	20. Chapter Twenty

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dudes, I'm back! Chapter twenty at your service. It's kind of boring. Just a load of talking. Hope you enjoy it, though. Read, review and be merry!  
  
CHAPTER TWENTY  
  
Thirty-one people sat, cramped in the living room of a large Victorian house on the nice side of a small desert town that night, staring blankly at each other's ashen faces. Some in shock, some in fear and some just because they couldn't think of a better way to react. The battle was over and they'd won. But the war had just begun. Khivar was still out there, no doubt mad with rage, plotting his revenge. They'd already seen what his anger could do and they weren't looking forward to experiencing his wrath.  
  
Suddenly the doorbell broke the silence. Sheriff Valenti silently went to answer the door. It was the Parkers and the Whitmans. The Pod Squad had decided that it was no use keeping their origins a secret from the adults in their lives. The night's fight had been a real eye opener. It made them realise that Khivar would stop at nothing to get to them, and he didn't care whether the people he used knew or not. They figured that the least they could do was tell them why they were possible targets to a raving, murderous psychopath.  
  
"I'm glad you could come," Sheriff Valenti said, as they walked into the crowded living room.  
  
"Well, Alex made it sound important," said Charles Whitman.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Jeff Parker as he saw his daughter, all her friends and all their parents sitting there staring at each other.  
  
"The kids have something to explain to us," Amy said. Her voice was soft, but the underlying demand for answers was still there.  
  
"Okay," Jeff said, taking a seat next to the other parents, "What's going on?"  
  
Taking a deep breath, Max stood up, taking command of the situation like the king he was meant to be. Priming himself, Max began.  
  
"Isabel, Michael, Rath, Zan, Ava and I aren't from around here." He paused. "We're aliens."  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Aliens," Jeff stated in disbelief. "Right. And I'm supposed to believe you, why?" Max smiled grimly, walked over to him and turned his shirt pink. Mr. Parker's jaw dropped in shock.  
  
"We were in the crash of 1947. We were in incubation pods until 1989, when we came out as six year olds," Isabel continued, turning to her parents. "That's when you found us in the desert."  
  
Diane Evans gasped, putting her hands to her mouth, tears in her eyes. She'd suspected that her kids weren't telling them everything, but she didn't expect that. Her babies. Aliens.  
  
"Please, Mom, we're still the same Max and Isabel you raised. Don't hate us," Isabel pleaded.  
  
Diane shook her head; tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh honey," she said, engulfing her daughter in a hug. "I don't hate you. Your father and I could never hate you. Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"I wanted to, I really did, but Max and Michael wouldn't let me."  
  
"We weren't sure how you would react," Max explained, "We didn't want anything to change between us."  
  
"You should have known better, son," Phillip said, pulling the whole Evans family, including Zan, in for a group hug.  
  
The touching moment was interrupted by a frantic knocking on the door. Rath jumped up to answer the door, preferring not to be reminded of the fact that he'd never had a family like that. With a mother and a father. Even back on Antar he was a bit of an outsider in the royal family, just the adopted kid. It wasn't the same.  
  
He was surprised to find Cortenia on the other side of the door, half carrying a blonde girl.  
  
"Rath. I was hopin' to find you here," she said, as he eased the girl out of her arms. "She just collapsed on my doorstep." She shook her head. "Dead indeed." Rath frowned, pulling back the unconscious girl's hair.  
  
"Kaylanna. I thought.they said she was dead," he said.  
  
"She's clearly not, now, let an old lady out of the cold. Have I taught you nothing?"  
  
Rath nodded and stepped aside, not understanding how she could joke like that when her sister lay limp in his arms.  
  
"Let's take her upstairs." Rath shifted Kaylanna in his arms. "We need to put her down. You two were always on the heavy side." Cortenia tapped him upside the head as he laughed.  
  
********************************** *********************************  
  
"How can you say this is all right?!" Jeff exclaimed, finally out of his shock induced silence. "They're aliens for God's sake, they could be dangerous."  
  
"But Dad."  
  
"They probably are dangerous!" He jumped to his feet, flinging his arms up. "Nancy, Lizzie, come on. We're going home. You are not to see these people again."  
  
"But Dad, just listen to me."  
  
"No, Liz, you listen to me. I will not have my only daughter put in danger for some 'alien conspiracy'. It's not gonna happen. You could die!"  
  
"I already have!" Liz shouted. That shut him up. Half the room gasped.okay, just the five people.  
  
"What?" Nancy whispered.  
  
"Two years ago, I died. And Max saved me." She caught Max's eyes, and smiled. "Remember the shoot out at the Crashdown?" At their nod, she continued. "We said it was ketchup, but it wasn't.well it was, but only to cover up the blood." She looked her parents in the eye, willing them to believe her. "He healed me, and he saw into my soul and I saw into his. I know he won't hurt me. Or the others. Not intentionally." Nancy choked out a sob and crushed Liz in a hug.  
  
"That's when you found out?" Amy asked.  
  
"Yes. I told Maria, then later I told Alex."  
  
********************************** *******************************  
  
"You picked a good time to show up," Rath said after laying Kaylanna down on Ava's bed. He didn't think she would mind.not much. "We're telling the parents the truth."  
  
"Because?"  
  
"The Evans and the Valentis got kidnapped by Khivar tonight. We can't hide it anymore. I'm sorry. I know you were trying to protect Amy from all this."  
  
"No. Don't be. I should've known she'd have got tied up in it eventually. Amy always gets herself in trouble. I just hope she forgives me for keeping this from her."  
  
"She will. Don't worry about it," he reassured her. He looked down at Kaylanna. "So, do you know what happened to her?"  
  
"I don't know. She was really hurt when I found her. I healed her as best I can, but I'm not a healer. Minor cuts and scrapes I can do, but not to this extent." She sighed.  
  
"I'll get Zan to fix it." He brushed her hair out of her face. "Where has she been?"  
  
"That, we'll have to ask her when she wakes up."  
  
************************************ *****************************  
  
"So let me get this straight," said Alicia Whitman. "You're reincarnated royals from another planet, sent here in incubation pods to grow up all over again so you could go back and kill your enemy sixty years later?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That doesn't make sense. Your enemies would be dead by then.unless your people are immortal and we know they're not because you died. So try again."  
  
Everyone stared at her.  
  
"Whoa," Kyle whispered to Michael, "I thought only Delucas talked that fast." Michael nodded.  
  
"Time moves slower on Antar than on Earth. One day there is like five days here," Zan explained. "So, only ten years passed since we died."  
  
"Right," she said, "All that technology and they couldn't just shoot him?"  
  
"Mom, don't you think they would if they could?" Alex asked. It was kind of embarrassing, but he had to admit his mother was on a roll. She never really talked to his friends. She was usually really quiet, but sometimes she was just loud and in even competition with Amy.  
  
"I don't know, this story seems kind of nonsensical to me."  
  
"Khivar never showed his face in battle. Nobody knew who he was or why he was suddenly trying to take over after being out of business for twenty years," Rath answered as he walked down the stairs. "Zan, go upstairs to Ava's room, will ya?" Zan raised an eyebrow in question, but went anyway. "We were always protected in the palace, not allowed to go out into the city, Queen's orders, because Khivar had taken over the most peaceful planet in the system. Carnath. He killed off the whole royal family."  
  
"So he took over a peaceful planet? Duh. That's an easy conquest. They were probably cocky. Didn't even have a full army, I bet. I say their leader was completely incompetent and."  
  
"My mother tried her best," Michael ground out.  
  
".He.what now?"  
  
"The queen of Carnath was my mother. I was adopted into the Antarian royal family when I was two," Michael said. "Khivar.he was.he is her brother, Kyden."  
  
"How do you kids keep track of this stuff?" asked Nancy. "I'm already getting lost."  
  
"See? I told you we should've made a brochure," Anya said. "It would have saved us a lot of time."  
  
They ignored her.  
  
"Max, wouldn't it be easier to just connect with them to show them?" Maria asked. As it was she was tired of hearing their entire life story. It was getting boring. She could tell from his expression that he never thought of that.  
  
"Connect with us?"  
  
"Yeah, I won't read anything in your head or anything. I'll just show you what has happened in the past two years," Max explained. "You trust me, right?"  
  
"No, not really," Amy answered bluntly.  
  
"Mom, it's fine. It won't hurt. Michael and I've done it tons of times." Maria started. Then she realised what that sounded like when she saw the look on her mother's face. "No, mom, it's not what you're thinking. He only needs to hold your hand to show you what's in his head."  
  
Amy looked at her suspiciously, but then nodded. "Fine." Maria breathed a sigh of relief. "But I want Michael to show me. I want to see exactly what's going on in his head." Maria tried to hide her fear with a smile. Tried, but failed. She glanced at Michael who looked like he was going to faint, or have a heart attack.  
  
"I, um, I don't have much c-control over my, uh, my powers."  
  
"That's okay. I don't mind a few off-point visions. I trust you won't blow my head up." It was an encouraging statement.had it not come out of the mouth of Amy Deluca. Now, it was just scary.  
  
'You and your big mouth,' Michael complained through their connection.  
  
'Stop whining, Spaceboy, I'll make it up to you later. Can you keep her from seeing anything incriminating?'  
  
'I'll have to, won't I?'  
  
Max and Isabel connected with the Evans, the Parkers and the Whitmans while Michael connected with Amy, silently praying to a god he didn't believe in that she didn't see anything that would result in her beating the hell out of him with a newspaper, then slowly torturing him to death.  
  
************************************ *******************************  
  
"Okay, who the hell are you?" Zan asked as he saw the figure sitting on Ava's bed.  
  
"Cortenia Deluca, Maria's grandmother. This is my sister, Kaylanna. I need you to heal her," she said, not bothering to beat around the bush.  
  
Zan's eyes narrowed. "How do you know about us?"  
  
"I'm from Antar, too, your Royal highness," she said sarcastically, smiling sweetly. "I was friends with Rath."  
  
"You're that chick!" Zan said in realisation. "The one Nicholas was talking about."  
  
"Okay. Whatever you want, buddy, just heal my sister." Zan nodded and walked over to the bed, and sat next to the unconscious girl.  
  
"Isn't she a little young to be your sister?"  
  
"Oh gee, thanks a lot there, cause I didn't need to feel young just then," she said, rolling her eyes. "She shifts into the younger body, probably so Rath would recognise her when he saw her. I shift into the older, you know, to look normal, like I'm aging?" She widened her eyes and nodded at him slowly as she explained, as if he was two years old.  
  
Zan stared at her then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Then he paused with his hand over Kaylanna's chest. "Wait. How do I know you're not lying?"  
  
"Oh, for God's sake, Zan, she's dying! Look at her!"  
  
Making a quick decision, Zan closed his eyes and concentrated on healing the girl. His hand glowed red as he mended the broken bones, tissues and organs. While he was connected to her, he could see memories of when she and Rath were friends back on Antar. He could see the love she had for his friend, but he could also see the love, or lack thereof, she had for him. She was the head of the rebellion against his rule, the faction that supported Rath and only Rath. In fact, even her subconscious seemed to be revolted by his presence in her mind. Gasping, he let go of his connection and opened his eyes to stare into the bright blue eyes of Courtney Banks. Before he even had time to think about it, he was shoved out of the way as Cortenia engulfed her sister in a hug.  
  
******************************* ****************************  
  
Amy Valenti gasped and pulled her hands away from Michael as the final flash passed her mind's eye. Michael backed away from her shaking form, afraid of what she might have seen.  
  
"Oh my God, Michael, what did you do?" Max demanded.  
  
"I." Michael stuttered, with a shrug. They knew he couldn't control his powers that well.  
  
'What did she see?' Maria asked him silently as she hugged her mother.  
  
'I don't know, okay?' he replied. 'I can't control what visions I give.'  
  
"Mom?" Maria murmured, brushing her mother's hair behind her ear. "You okay? What did you see?"  
  
"I.I saw.she didn't even tell me," she said, anger creeping into her voice. "I'm going to kill her!"  
  
"Mom.you can't kill Mi." she trailed off when the fact that she said 'her' and not 'him' struck her. "Wait, who do you want to kill?"  
  
"My mother. She's.god, I can't believe her!"  
  
"Uh-oh," Rath said.  
  
"He knows too?" Amy exclaimed. "Is there anybody in this room besides me that doesn't know?" Looking at all the guilty faces, Amy got her answers. "Jim pass me the phone," she said coldly.  
  
"Now, Amy."  
  
"Shut up, Jim. We're married now, you shouldn't be hiding things like this from me."  
  
"But."  
  
"No buts, Jim. I might forgive you eventually, but until then, hand me the damn phone."  
  
"No need for the phone, Amy, I'm right here," a voice said from the stairway. They all turned to find Cortenia, with Zan following closely behind her.  
  
"Mother. Why am I now hearing about this? And from Michael of all people? You're an alien and you never told me? I'm your daughter!"  
  
"I know."  
  
"I could have been captured by, like, the MIB or something."  
  
"They're not real, dear."  
  
She continued, unphased. "And I wouldn't even know what for. And what about Maria? What if she turned out green and scaly 'cause of some mutated genes or something?"  
  
"Amy."  
  
"Mom, no, I had a right to know."  
  
"I know, and I'm sorry."  
  
"You better be. What about Jerry and Sean? Did they know?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, at least I'm not the only one out of the loop."  
  
'Who's Jerry?' Michael asked silently.  
  
'Jerry's my uncle. Sean's father. He died in a car crash three years ago.'  
  
'Oh.'  
  
"God, when were you gonna tell me?"  
  
"I was hopin' it would never have to come out," she said, sadly. Seeing that Amy was about to continue her rant, she waved her hand in the air, cutting off her voice. "Let me explain." Amy's eyes widened as her mouth flapped open and closed, but no sound came out. "Sit down, sweetie. I'll explain it. I guess I should tell Sean, too, where is he?"  
  
"Albuquerque. A court hearing thing," Maria answered.  
  
Cortenia nodded. "My name was Cortenia Dehlookhaar, I had to change it obviously, to a more earthbound name, so I just changed the spelling. Anyway, we, my sister and I, we met Rath on a beach in the capital city of Antar when we were thirteen years old. He'd just snuck out of the palace, because who'd like to see the same scenery day in, day out, for the rest of their lives? Not Rath, I'll tell ya." She smiled wistfully at him. "Anyway, it was an instant friendship. Every week at the same time, we'd meet up at the beach. Kaylanna developed a huge crush, but that's beside the point."  
  
"How did you end up here?" Amy asked.  
  
"It was just before the last battle. Zan, Ava and Vilandra were already dead. Rath came to me right after Zan was killed. He didn't want us to die too. Didn't want to fail his whole family, so he gave me a serum. He told me of the Queen's plan to send hybrids to Earth in the event that they lost the war to Khivar. He wanted us to go, too, to be safe. Without him, you wouldn't have been born."  
  
Amy started nodded, then paused as a disturbing thought came to mind. "Are you trying to tell me that my daughter's boyfriend is my father?"  
  
"What? No! Why do you people always think I was sleeping with Rath? He was my best friend, nothing else." She shook her head in disbelief. "My kids have screwed up imaginations. That has to be it. Must get it from your father, 'cause it's not from me."  
  
"Mom. The story?"  
  
"Huh? Right, yeah. The serum.it was developed by the royal scientists. The protectors sent with the pods all got some. I'm not sure what was in it, but it made our bodies more compatible with the atmosphere, so we could survive on Earth without husks. A husk is."  
  
"We know what a husk is, the kids showed us."  
  
"Right. Anyway, he set it up so that my sister and I could catch a ride on the ship to Earth. Kaylanna decided to stay and help with the war, but I honoured his last wishes and left for Earth. That would have been in 1947, Earth time."  
  
"The Crash," Jeff said in realisation.  
  
"The ship was sabotaged. There was someone working on the inside. The, um, hydro.thingy, crap, I don't know anything about ships. Anyway, it blew up or something. Kaylanna would be able to explain, she's good with those things. The ship went off balance and it entered the atmosphere at the wrong angle, so half the hull burnt up on entry. That's why we crashed."  
  
"Wow. Do you know how many of my customers would kill for this information?" Amy exclaimed.  
  
"Mine, too," Jeff Parker added.  
  
"There were nine of us on that ship, only three survived. Your protectors got captured and your pods were confiscated by the FBI. I didn't see them again for another year. In that time, I stayed in a cave, preparing for when you got out. I knew you would get out. Your protectors, they were brave and strong. They kept me covered so that I could get away to hide the Granolith. I believed they would get out. Our world depended on it."  
  
"You built the pod chamber?" Isabel asked in amazement.  
  
"Yeah.well, I guess it's more I smoothed down the cave walls and created the Granolith chamber. It was hard work, let me tell ya, like makin' a house out of spaghetti sticks, especially since I never had powers before. I had to learn how to use 'em and build a room at the same time."  
  
"Cort, you're rambling," Rath said.  
  
"Well excuse me, Mr. Army man," she said rolling her eyes. "I'll be more concise, then." She saluted him. "The protectors, when they finally got out, they were changed. They weren't the same men I flew down here with. There was an underlying sense of.of hostility that they developed in the base. Not the same kind, though. One, Captain Haardhayn, he hated humans. Completely. Before, he was excited to come to Earth. He had this indescribable need to travel, to see the universe. It was why the Queen chose him to head the mission. She thought that he would make the least impression on the Earth once he got there. He wouldn't be a soldier on a mission, he would be.I don't know, just a man who is fascinated by the world he's in. I don't know what they did to him in there, but when he came out, he was.oh, I can't even describe him." She shook her head in dismay.  
  
"The other, Private Vardex." She glanced at Rath. "The man you sent me to. Before, he was all about the mission at hand. He just wanted to bring the Royal Four to Earth and complete his mission as quickly as possible so that he could go home. He just wanted it over and done with. I don't think he thought very much of the humans. They were just stupid animals, not worth any thought. Earth was just a place to hide the Royals. When he came back, he had the same hostile attitude as Captain Haardayn, the same attitude you would expect from a soldier kept in captivity and tortured for a year. He resented the mission itself for putting him in that position in the first place, but his attitude towards humans changed completely. He seemed disgusted at the way they treated them at the base, but he was also.curious. He wanted to know how a single species could experience, feel so many things and yet be so." she trailed off as she searched for the right words.  
  
"He once told me a story of when he was in the facility. He was strapped to a table in a white room." The Pod Squad involuntarily shuddered at that. "There were tools on a little tray next to him. 'They didn't look like a good time,' he said. Anyway, the doctor, she seemed to be new, came towards him with a scalpel poised to slice him down the middle, but then she looked into his eyes and paused. He said that he could see the compassion in her eyes. It was like she felt sorry for him in that one moment, but then as quick as it was there, it was gone and she was ripping into his flesh, not even flinching at his cries of pain. Another man came in and handed her a phone, he didn't know it was a phone at the time, though. In an instant her whole demeanour changed and she was just this.this woman, somebody's mother, somebody's daughter. He said that from what he read in her mind, that's one of his powers, her daughter had just gotten in a car accident. He could feel her mentally breaking down, but he could also feel her loyalty to her work pulling at her to finish her job. When she returned to him, she sliced him open with anger. Complete rage. Rage for what happened to her daughter most likely, but he could also read a lot of grief. It was her grief that made it easier for him to read her mind. He could feel everything from the feeling of a warm bed to the taste of ice cream, to the sound of her favourite song. It was all there. I think he didn't understand how beings with such wonderful things could waste their time being cruel to others. When he came out, all he wanted to do was find out. He just wanted to study them. To live among them and find out what made them tick, so to speak."  
  
"That doesn't make sense, mom, I mean.you have emotions. Aliens have emotions, right? 'Cause I have 'em."  
  
"You don't understand. We have emotions. That's not the point." She got up and walked around the room. "Antarians. We do everything for a purpose. It must be for something.useful or we just don't bother. It's how our technology advanced so far. We didn't waste our time inventing luxuries like TVs and stereos. We did things by necessity only. If it didn't further our knowledge or lessen our vulnerability, we didn't do it." She stopped in front of the TV and slammed her hand down on it. "That is why Private Vardex was fascinated. Humans waste time, things. He wanted to know why."  
  
"So, what happened to them?" Amy asked.  
  
"Captain Haardayn took the duplicates to New York, I never knew where he went exactly. Private Vardex settled in at a reservation nearby, the Mesaliko reservation. He wanted to observe humans, but he didn't want to be around too many of them at the same time. He was a bit weird. I visited him there a few times." The Pod Squad gasped. Nasedo. "The people called him Nasedo, the visitor. He lived like a recluse, the people not trusting or understanding him, but he didn't care really, he just wanted to see. He befriended two people in his stay there, though. A boy called.um."  
  
"Riverdog?" Michael supplied.  
  
"Yeah, that's it. Riverdog and.um.Ath-Atherton, that's it."  
  
"But he killed Atherton, didn't he?"  
  
"What? No! He wouldn't do that. When Haardayn came back and found him living there, he was livid. They were supposed to be on a mission, scowering the earth, checking to see if any of Khivar's minions had followed them and protecting the Royal Four, not studying the habitants of Earth. He also didn't like the fact that Vardex had told humans about what he was. It was a danger to the mission. So he waited. He planned a way to sever his connections to the humans."  
  
"Haardayn killed Atherton," Max said in realisation.  
  
"Yes. He shifted into the form Vardex had adopted and burned him through, from the inside out. Killing him wouldn't be enough, though. He did it during a celebration, where everyone, including Riverdog, would see." She sighed. "Private Vardex was drummed out of the community.okay, maybe not literally, but.hmm, how can I explain this?" she muttered to herself. "When Vardex was healed by Riverdog, he formed a connection with him. It made it easier for him to see into his mind at any time than, say, if it was you or me. Wherever he was that night, he could feel the anger and disappointment and.fear that rolled off of Riverdog in waves. Riverdog didn't trust him anymore, and when he further went into his mind, he could see why."  
  
"Wow," Liz said. "So Nasedo never killed Atherton."  
  
"No. He was framed by Captain Haardayn. That was when he completely abandoned his mission. Just when he was re-developing his life on Earth, the mission came back and bit him in his proverbial balls. Gone was the safe community in which he could study human nature. He had to start his life all over again, for the third time all because of one stupid war and one mission."  
  
"Is that why he betrayed us? Why he sold us out to Khivar?" Max asked. "If he hated the mission so much, why bother raising Tess?"  
  
Cortenia stared at him for a while, and then looked over to Michael. "What the hell is he talking about?"  
  
"Nasedo made a deal with Khivar forty years ago. Tess would get pregnant with Max's child, then return with the rest of us for execution."  
  
"That is not true."  
  
"I'm sorry, grams, but it is," Maria said.  
  
"It's not, actually. You've been misinformed," a voice said from the top of the stairs.  
  
"Kaylanna Dehlookhar, I told you to rest," Cortenia chastised.  
  
"Yeah, well, I never listen to you anyway," she answered. "Besides, once I got over the nausea from having Zan in my head, it was fine." She shuddered in disgust as she ran her hands over her jeans, cleaning of the dirt and grime and mending the holes. "What?"  
  
"What happened to you?" Maria asked, not being nice, but not being completely hostile either.  
  
"Believe me, kid, you don't wanna know." She ran her hands through her hair, looking around the room. "Huh. Zan never could keep his big mouth shut." Her eyes landed on Amy. "Is this my niece?"  
  
"Yes. 'Anna, this is my daughter Amy, and my granddaughter Maria. Guys, my twin sister."  
  
"Isn't she a little.young to be your twin?" Max asked.  
  
"Oh for God's sakes!" Cortenia exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Do ya not understand the concept of a shape shifter?"  
  
"We shift shapes? Duh, Zan. Really," Kaylanna continued. She looked towards Amy. "Now do you see why our planet collapsed? Idiots ruled the place." Amy smirked slightly. She was beginning to like this new aunt of hers, even though she looked half her age.  
  
"What were you saying about Nasedo?" Michael asked.  
  
"What? Oh. Right. Private Vardex never bothered with the mission. He didn't come to get you or even try to set foot in New Mexico after that. He's living in LA, working in movies. He's a producer I think. Something like that." She waved her hand dismissively in the air. "The man you had contact with was Captain Haardayn. Just because he was a shape shifter, you assumed he was Nasedo, but he wasn't. It's basic training to uses one's assumptions against them. At least that's what I teach my troops. I bet you just pretty much walked up to him and asked if he was Nasedo, right?" At Max's slightly shameful look, she smirked.  
  
"I don't understand. If he hated us so much, why help save Max from the FBI? Or keep the special unit off our backs?" Isabel asked.  
  
"You said it yourself, he made a deal with Khivar. He would deliver an heir to the throne and the Royal Four. What better way to get close to you than to exploit an uneducated guess? If he wanted, he could have killed off one of your human friends here and stepped into the group without much effort. Then, he could also influence your decisions from the inside as an equal, possibly even more than that." She glanced at Liz. The group dynamics certainly weren't lost on her. "But, as the infamous Nasedo, alien and protector of all, he would be seen as someone to look up to. Whatever he said would go, because he knows more," Kaylanna explained. "As for saving Max, well, I don't know about humans, but for us, it's not possible to bone a dead guy and get pregnant."  
  
"Um.from what you showed us, the skins killed this.Nasedo. If he was working with them, why would they kill him?" Mr. Evans asked.  
  
"Oh, that was me, actually," Kaylanna answered flippantly. They all looked at her. "I couldn't let him get Michael killed. Who would rule then? Besides, I didn't think Tess had enough of a brain of her own to carry out the plan without him. I didn't think she'd actually go through with it once he was gone, though, otherwise I would've killed her too."  
  
"So you've been here protecting us all along?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Not the whole time, no. I had other things to do, like infiltrating Nikaid's army, forming my own troops, searching for the duplicates. Where were you, anyway?"  
  
"New York."  
  
"Obviously. Where?"  
  
"Sewers under Eighth Street."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Why would Nicholas let you back in, though? He knew you were on Rath's side even before the war started," Maria had to ask the question that had been bugging her since the whole story came out.  
  
"He loves me.well, loved me at some point."  
  
"But you broke his heart."  
  
"Well, yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that he loved me." She looked slightly sad at that, but quickly got back to business. "Add those emotions to the adolescent body Khivar put him in and he was easily manipulated.at least until he got accustomed to the raging hormones, but that's another story. Point is his hope never died. He always thought that there would be a chance for us."  
  
"Was there ever any hope?" Rath asked.  
  
"Maybe. There was at one point. But he blew it by joining Khivar's side. I could never forgive him for that. Never."  
  
"Okay, there's still one thing I don't understand," Michael said. "Why the husk? You didn't need it. Not really."  
  
"No, I didn't need it. It was a part of my infiltration. I had to pose as a skin to fit in with the skins," she answered. "Khivar never was able to find the formula for the serum. You know, to adapt Antarians to the Earth's atmosphere, so a shifter in a band of skins, well, obvious. So I wore the husk. Crap as it was."  
  
"So when Nicholas said you killed yourself."  
  
"Mindwarp. I had to make him think I was dead so he wouldn't try to mind rape me for the location of the Granolith."  
  
"I don't understand. If it's just a ship, why would they want it? Surely there are other ships in the system," asked Diane Evans.  
  
"The Granolith is not just a ship, in fact, it's not a ship at all," Kaylanna answered. "Man, where do you people get your information from? The Granolith is a source of power. Nobody knows where it came from or what it's for. All we know is that it holds massive amounts of power that can only be controlled by one person. When that person dies, they automatically pass the power on to the next living member of the family. If that person is deemed unworthy by the Granolith, it passes on to the next in line. Like a throne, pretty much."  
  
"The Granolith can also be passed on by will. If the controller finds it necessary, they could pass it on to someone else," Cortenia continued.  
  
"Yeah. The Carnasian Royal family has always held the Granolith. That's why nobody ever even tried to attack them. They were too powerful. It's a surprise Khivar even had the guts to try."  
  
"So that's what this is about!" Liz exclaimed. They all looked at her blankly. "Guys, Khivar would have been the next in line. If he killed off Michael's mom, he would have got the Granolith."  
  
"But since she passed it on." Max added, getting on her train of thought.  
  
"He has to come after you. Max, you are the controller of the Granolith. That's why Khivar is still after you. He has to kill you to get it back."  
  
"Wait," Kaylanna interrupted. "Michael's mom?"  
  
They quickly explained the Royal family line of Carnath to the two sisters.  
  
"Interesting," Kaylanna murmured. "So even though he has it."  
  
"He doesn't really have it," Cortenia finished her thought.  
  
"It all makes sense now," Isabel said. There was a moment of silence as the whole group let it all sink in.  
  
"Well, since the whole story is out, I think we should all go home and get some rest," Max announced. There were some mumbled agreements around the room. It was five o'clock in the morning.  
  
"The whole story's not out," Serena stated quietly from her space on Oz's lap. She took a deep breath, preparing to drop the bomb.  
  
************************************ *****************************  
  
Sorry about the cliffhanger, guys. I just had to do it. Heh heh heh. Whatever is Serena talking about, hmm? Eh, it's probably an easy guess anyway. 


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, everybody! I'm back again, finally. Some things you should know about this chapter (though I'm sure you could figure it out yourself anyway). It's just one huge flashback to right after the war. Not the battle they had on Earth, but the war they had on Antar way back when. Just showing what Khivar was doing all that time, what the skins were doing, etc. There's also a hint to what Serena was going to say buried in here somewhere. You didn't think I'd come right out and say it, did you? Anyway, onward through the pages. Read and enjoy. (  
  
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE  
  
Khivar stood on the balcony, looking out at his kingdom. His kingdom. He liked the sound of that. It just rolled off the tongue: Khivar, King of Antar and Carnath. Kyden, King of the Lythian System. That sounded even better. Smiling, he took a deep breath, taking in the musky stench of war and the pure ecstasy that came with the sweet smell of victory.  
  
It was three days since he destroyed the King's army, two days since the General was burnt at the stake by his own people, and one day since he was crowned king. All in all, it was a good week. The only thing that could make it even better was the Granolith. He'd been searching for it since that whining cow otherwise known as his sister sent it off with her retarded brat of a son. The ship and the servant she sent with it were recovered, but the boy and the Granolith were never found. Now, twenty years later, it was finally in his grasp. He could feel it.  
  
"My liege."  
  
He turned to find a servant. He raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"T-the, uh, t-t-the Gran-granolith i-i-i-is." he stuttered, eyes trained on the floor.  
  
"Spit it out," he barked.  
  
"It's gone."  
  
"What?" he growled.  
  
"I-it's not in the chamber. We've checked every room."  
  
"Show me." The man nodded his head, and led him to the Granolith Chamber.  
  
Two burly guards stood in front of the large steel doors, each holding large laser guns. Guns so dangerous, so lethal that they were banned in the rest of the system, only allowed for the protection of the Granolith. Those guns were able to completely obliterate ten men with just one blast. On seeing their new king, the guards turned to open the lock. They each pulled out a key card and in a completely synchronised move; they ran it through the slots on either side of the lock. A red light started flashing at the top of the door and a silver podium rose out of the floor. The guards put their left hands on the two black screens on top of the podium. A green light slid across the screens as a laser scanned their hand sizes, fingerprints, DNA and pulse.  
  
"These are the only people besides the Royal Four and the Queen Mother who can open this door." The servant felt a need to explain, getting more comfortable around his ruler. "It is programmed so that only one combination of people can open it. These two guards must be together to open it, as well as the other two. The other combinations are the King and the Queen, and the Princess and the Queen Mother. The scanner makes sure that the right combination of people are present and that they are actually alive."  
  
Khivar tuned him out as the podium sunk back into the ground and the doors swung open. The room was huge. It was made entirely of black marble from the smooth floor to the high arched ceiling. In the centre sat.nothing. Khivar walked to the middle of the room in disbelief. It was gone. He walked over to where his prize should have been and brought his hand up to touch the air there. He could feel where the power had once been. The air was still sizzling with its energy.  
  
Khivar roared with anger as he stormed out of the room, calling back, "Find it! I want every corner of the planet searched!"  
  
********************************** *********************************  
  
Nikaid stood silently in a corner as his leader paced up and down the room in anger. They'd just found out that the Queen Mother had sent off clones of the Royals to Earth with the Granolith. To say he was furious was an understatement. Now, not only was the Granolith out of his hands, but even if he did find it, it would still be controlled by that wretched waste of space, Zan.  
  
Earlier that day, they had gone down to the dungeons to torture the whereabouts of the Granolith out of the Queen Mother. Khivar fingered the scar on his face as he remembered that harpy's claws trying to dig out his eyeballs. She would pay dearly for that. He would see to it. She could no longer look forward to a swift execution.  
  
"What should we do now, sire?" Nikaid asked finally.  
  
"Gather all the scientists on Antar and Carnath."  
  
"May I ask why?"  
  
"Because you are going to Earth to find them."  
  
"But.I am Antarian. I can't survive there."  
  
"Obviously. That's why I need the scientists," Khivar said matter-of- factly. "They are to build husks for you and at least a hundred soldiers. I want every square inch of that rock searched until they are found." He smiled evilly at him. "You are not to return until the Granolith is found."  
  
"But the husks only last fifty Earth years at most."  
  
"Then you'll have to be quick, won't you?" Nikaid nodded and turned to leave. "Oh, and Nikaid." He stopped. "Never question me again." Khivar laughed as the General of his army scurried out of the office.  
  
*********************************** ********************************  
  
Khivar stepped off the ship into the cold, dark night. The alleyway was dark, dank and deserted. The moonlight reflected off the wet, garbage- covered pavement, as Khivar looked around in disdain. So this was Earth. Nothing much to see but a lot to find. He breathed in the slightly heavy atmosphere and coughed. He would certainly be happy to get back home.  
  
"My lord," a voice said behind him, in surprise. He didn't bother to turn.  
  
"Nikaid." It wasn't much of a greeting. "Where is the Granolith?"  
  
"Well, s-sir, um."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We, um, we haven't found it yet."  
  
"I see," Khivar replied, calmly, still not turning around. "Do you know how long you've been here?" He turned, staring at the nervous form of the man before him. The tall frame and muscular physique of the husk shook with a nervousness that just didn't look befitting.  
  
"W-well."  
  
"Six years, Nikaid! I have been waiting six years for my prize! Where is it?!"  
  
"We don't exactly know, sir. All we know is that it is with the Royals."  
  
"Really? I would never have thought that," Khivar sneered sarcastically, "Now, after you asked the cows at the zoo for that little tidbit, what did you find out with that big, superior, Antarian brain you supposedly have?"  
  
"Uh, they're called monkeys here, sir."  
  
"I don't care! Where are they?"  
  
"Well, we've tracked down one of the protectors the Queen Mother sent with them."  
  
"And?"  
  
"He knows where they are, and he's willing to give them up but he has conditions."  
  
"Which are?"  
  
"Free passage back to Antar with.benefits."  
  
"Then what's the problem? Make the deal."  
  
"We did, but apparently the Royals are the key to getting it. Apparently their incubation pods are housed in a Pod Chamber somewhere on this continent. Until they hatch, the chamber cannot be opened. The locking mechanism is connected to the breaking of the pods."  
  
Khivar blinked. "That is by far the stupidest thing I have ever heard."  
  
"The Shifter swears it."  
  
That interested him. "Shifter? He's Carnasian?"  
  
"No. It seems the Queen's scientists developed a serum that allows Antarians to survive on Earth without husks. One of the bonuses is that they can shift shapes."  
  
"Hmm," Khivar scratched his chin. "They didn't tell me that. Some torture seems to be needed." He smirked. "Find me the shifter. I want a talk with him." He clasped his hands behind his back.  
  
"Yes sir." Nikaid turned to leave.  
  
"General."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"That husk. It's quite handsome. Strapping."  
  
Nikaid smiled. "Thank you, sir, I."  
  
Before Nikaid could even bat an eyelid, Khivar grabbed him by his thick neck and slammed him against the wall. Sweat trickled down his face as a pair of cold, grey eyes glared into his own. "It doesn't do you justice," Khivar growled with a wicked smile, inches from his face. Nikaid's brow furrowed in confusion as he felt a burning sensation slowly creep up his body from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. He screamed in agony as the burning intensified and his whole body shook.  
  
Khivar cackled evilly as the husk of his right-hand man transformed under his glowing red hands. Shrinking. Reshaping. Reforming. Satisfied with his work, Khivar let go and watched him topple to the floor, sobbing in pain.  
  
"Get up," he said cruelly, kicking him in the ribs.  
  
Nikaid pushed himself up on thin, shaky arms and legs, small hands hurriedly wiping away his tears, and looked up at his master.  
  
Wait.  
  
He felt short.  
  
He looked at his hands in horror. They used to be bigger. He was sure they were bigger than this. He ran over to the nearest puddle and gasped in shock at his appearance. He was.  
  
"I think that's much better, don't you?" Khivar laughed as he walked away, leaving him behind.  
  
.a teenager.  
  
************************* ************************  
  
An hour later, as Khivar sat at a bar drinking a martini, he was still chuckling to himself. The look on Nikaid's face was priceless. One that would surely amuse him for years to come. Khivar swirled the drink in his glass as he turned on his barstool observing the natives. He couldn't see why his ancestors were so fascinated with this place. The people looked ridiculous in their brightly coloured shirts with huge lapels and overly tight pants doing some kind of imbecilic jig. He couldn't say that he was fond of the music either. From what he'd heard, it was called disco and he was thankful that it wasn't available in his system.  
  
"Scotch on the rocks. Triple the scotch, half the rocks."  
  
Khivar turned to the woman that just ordered. She was leaning on the counter just a few inches away from where he sat. She wore a bright red miniskirt that stopped high on her thigh with a white halter-top. Matching knee-high platform boots and a beret topped the outfit off. Her dark brown eyes were lined by long eyelashes coated with numerous layers of black mascara, some of which was smudged in long trails that marked the path of old tears down her smooth tanned skin, past fire engine red lips to slide off a delicate chin. Her long black hair hung carelessly around her face and down to the middle of her back.  
  
Khivar watched as she slumped down onto a stool, running her slender fingers over the rim of her shot glass and thought she was too bright, too preppy to be in this dingy place. She didn't look like she fit in. Then suddenly, she picked up the glass and downed the drink in one swig. She tapped the glass on the counter in a request for more.  
  
"Rough day?" he ventured to ask.  
  
"Rough life," she groaned, rubbing the now empty glass against her forehead.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, feigning interest. He was stuck on this worthless hunk of rock until his transport unit regenerated; there was no harm in having a little fun while he was here.  
  
"Believe me, you don't wanna know," she said with a slight chuckle.  
  
"Try me." He smiled, charm oozing out of every crevice of his body. He stopped the bartender as he was passing and ordered her another drink.  
  
She downed it as soon as it was set in front of her, and then turned to the stranger next to her. Through her slightly blurred vision she could tell that he was very attractive with his piercing grey eyes and mischievous smile. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to just talk to him. In fact, this way worked best. She could rant all she wanted, get as drunk as humanly possible and probably humiliate herself beyond belief and it wouldn't matter because she was on the wrong side of town anyway and would probably never see him again.  
  
"It's just.why are men such jerks?" she said, slurring a bit.  
  
"It's a mystery of life," Khivar answered. Of course, he didn't have a clue what a jerk was, but he assumed that was the right answer.  
  
" 'Cause they jus' can't make up their mind. One minute they're dancin' wi' you, nex' they hustlin' wit' some hussy with big boobs and stickin' their tongue down her throat.  
  
Khivar out her rambling and just sat back to watch her. Even in her drunken state, she was gorgeous. His stay here suddenly didn't look that bad.  
  
".So, what's your name?" she was asking.  
  
"Khi-Kyden."  
  
"Celeste."  
  
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Celeste," he said, kissing the back of her hand. She giggled.  
  
"Sorry about the rambling."  
  
"It's no problem. I like to hear you talk," he lied. He barely heard a word she said.  
  
Celeste smiled shyly and looked away from his gaze, instead concentrating on drawing pictures on the counter out of the water droplets left from her glass with her nails. Finally, making a decision, she glanced back up at him.  
  
"You-do you wanna.go somewhere?"  
  
********************************** **********************************  
  
The room was dark, the only light filtering through the crack between the curtains that covered the small window. He was sitting on a lumpy armchair in a cheap motel in New York City, wondering just how he got here. He'd led a good life. He did his job to the best of his ability and obeyed orders. He'd been a good soldier, doing his leader proud, in his mind anyway. He supposed that was his first mistake. If he'd chosen a different profession, maybe a merchant, a teacher or a bloody basket weaver for all he cared, he would probably be back home right now with a wife and kids, maybe a pet, instead of being in this hellhole.  
  
Then again, he could be dead. Could have perished in the war. Blown to bits before he knew what hit him.  
  
Maybe he should be grateful.  
  
His bitter laugh caught in his throat as he struggled to breathe in the atmosphere. He popped a few more Tictacs in his mouth, the cool mint somehow easing the passage of air through his body. He hadn't adapted as well as the others appeared to have. Maybe it was from all the experiments the government carried out on him. He knew, however, it was probably because he shifted into so many shapes so often, but maybe, on a subconscious level, he wanted to suffer. It made what he was about to do easier.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open, breaking him out of his reverie. He winced at the bright light as the intruder flipped the light switch.  
  
"Why're you sitting in the dark, Shifter?"  
  
He didn't even bother to hold in his snort of laughter. "What happened to you?" he asked, eyeing the teenage boy in front of him with a smirk.  
  
Nikaid bristled, remembering his new form, and said nothing.  
  
"I think I did a great job," Khivar said, haughtily, walking in behind him. He ruffled Nikaid's hair in what could only be described as a condescending manner. "It gives him.character." He patted him on the back before examining the room in disdain. "Is this how the protector of the Royal Four lives?"  
  
"For the moment," he answered. Khivar nodded and sat scornfully on the bed.  
  
"What's your name, Shifter?"  
  
"Captain Brog'ed Haardayn."  
  
"Brog'ed. You know where the Granolith is." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And the Royals?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"I cannot tell you. I will not until my conditions are met," he stated calmly. Khivar raised as eyebrow. This man had the gall to be unintimidated. He almost respected that. Almost. It mostly pissed him off.  
  
"What are your conditions?"  
  
"I want unhindered passage back to Antar and when I get there, I want a large piece of land in the southern quadrant with a mansion to rival the palace. And I want to be left alone."  
  
Khivar nodded, thinking it over. "Deal. Now where are they?" To his surprise, and complete annoyance, the Shifter started laughing. Khivar growled. This man obviously did not value his life. "Whatever is so funny?"  
  
"How stupid do you think I am? Do you think I don't know that you'll kill me as soon as I give you the information? Or worse yet, leave me high and dry? No, I want it in writing. Signed and bound."  
  
Khivar scowled. The shifter was smarter than he thought. He motioned for Nikaid to get the papers ready, and then trained his eyes on the Captain.  
  
"Nikaid told me that the Granolith can't be accessed without the Royals."  
  
"That is true. The woman Rath sent with us was very competent at making locking mechanisms. The Granolith Chamber cannot be opened until all the Royals have hatched. I don't know how she did it, but she even made it so that it couldn't be opened even if the pods were destroyed and the Royals were killed. I guess a year on your own gives you the time."  
  
"I bet it'll open if we blew the place up," Nikaid said.  
  
"Wouldn't work. The other protector, Private Vardex, created a shield. The chamber cannot be destroyed whilst the Royals are inside. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion can get past it."  
  
Khivar growled, getting up and pacing.  
  
"And you have no way of getting past it? Disabling it?"  
  
"Not until they are born, no."  
  
Khivar roared in anger, punching a hole in the wall. He grabbed Captain Haardayn by the collar, scowling menacingly. "Then what good are you? I should just kill you right now."  
  
"Then you'll never find them." He smiled smugly. "They'll hatch, grow and return to Antar before your little plebs have time to peel the last layer of skin from their faces." Khivar's eyes narrowed in suspicion and anger. "Take it or leave it."  
  
"Fine," Khivar said, finally, stepping away from him. "But for the price you're asking, I want more." Brog'ed raised an eyebrow in question. "When they hatch," Khivar clasped his hands behind his back and resumed pacing the room. "You will ensure that the Queen produces an heir. Once she is with child, return them to Antar for execution."  
  
"But sire," Nikaid piped up. "If the king has an heir, the Granolith will be passed to him."  
  
"He's right," Brog'ed agreed.  
  
Khivar rolled his eyes. "You think I don't know that that's a possibility? If you'd shut up for a minute, you just might learn something." Khivar's face was twisted in a mask of irritation. "When King Zan is executed, the power will automatically pass to the next in line. That would be his son, who would be an infant, if not a newborn baby at this point, if you do your job correctly." He looked pointedly at Brog'ed. "He'll have no allegiance with his real father. He'll be mine to mould and shape as I please. I could control the Granolith through him."  
  
"And there'd be no chance that the power would transfer to some other random person," Nikaid said in realisation.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Brilliant."  
  
Khivar nodded, then focused on the Shifter. "Well? Is it a deal?"  
  
He seemed to be thinking about it, his conscience rearing its ugly head. It was sent scurrying back into the dark pit it was currently living in by his next coughing fit. Popping some more Tictacs in his mouth, he agreed.  
  
"Excellent. Nikaid! The papers."  
  
He finished writing up the contract, then handed it to his leader. Khivar quickly scanned it over before signing it at the bottom and handing it over to Brog'ed who did the same and put it in his pocket.  
  
"Now you have to bind it," Brog'ed insisted.  
  
Khivar cursed under his breath. The shifter was relentless. He'd hoped that he forgot about the binding. This was one of the customs he hated about his system. The binding was an offshoot of every Lythian's communication power. It was like a contract in one's subconscious that gave a painful kick in the head if it was ever broken. If he bound the deal with the shifter, there was no way he could get out of it. Then again, there was no way the shifter could get out of it, either.  
  
Reluctantly, he cupped his hand in front of him, the familiar glowing ball appearing as Brog'ed did the same. Concentrating, he separated a tiny green ball from the whole, changing its colour from white to a mixture of all the other colours of the spectrum, red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo and finally violet, before it finally disappeared leaving only the tiny green ball.  
  
Khivar glared into Brog'ed's eyes as the balls bobbed in front of his face, casting an eerie green glow over his features. With a nod, Brog'ed began the binding.  
  
"I, Brog'ed Haardayn of Antar, hereby pledge to deliver the Royal Four and the King's heir to Khivar."his brow furrowed as he struggled to remember a last name. The binding had to be specific or it wouldn't work. He looked at him questioningly. Khivar rolled his eyes in annoyance and reluctantly gave his full name. The Granolith was worth two people knowing who he really was.  
  
"Kyden Rathmeare," he grunted. The Shifter's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Rathmeare? From the Royal family of Carnath?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You pay attention to the news. Good for you," he said sarcastically. "Get on with it."  
  
"He nodded, restarting. "I, Brog'ed Haardayn of Antar, hereby pledge to deliver the Royal Four and the King's heir to Kyden Rathmeare of Carnath as stated in the contract signed by my person without fail and without question," he recited.  
  
"I, Kyden Rathmeare of Carnath, hereby pledge to reward Brog'ed Haardayn with a mansion on the Southern Quadrant of Antar and a title of nobility as stated in the contract signed by my person without fail and without question," he rattled off.  
  
The two green balls flew towards each other at a fast speed until they collided in an explosion of a thousand sparks. The sparks moved in a circular motion through the air before converging in the centre as two glowing spheres, spinning on their axis.  
  
Khivar and Brog'ed closed their eyes as their respective balls re-entered their bodies. With that, the ceremony was complete. They were bound in a contract that could only be broken by death, but could not be severed by death of one party caused by homicide on the part of the other party.  
  
"There," Khivar said, gruffly. "The deal is done. I'll see you at the execution." With a flourish, he stalked out of the room, leaving Captain Brog'ed Haardayn alone in the brightly lit, cheap, run-down motel room to think about the deal he just made with the devil.  
  
******************************** ********************************  
  
Kyden knocked on the apartment door of his girlfriend of two Earth months. It was not going to be a happy date, for her at least. His transport unit had finally recharged enough to make it back to Antar and he was more that ready to leave. It had been mildly amusing here with her, but he couldn't leave his kingdoms too long. In the greater scheme of things, she wasn't worth anything. She'd get over him eventually.  
  
"Come in," she called from inside. Running a hand through his hair, he walked into the familiar apartment. It was small, barely a studio apartment. The walls were painted a clean apple white with bright, colourful Native American paintings and artwork hanging form every corner. The cream carpet was old, but well kept. Celeste was sitting stiffly on an overstuffed orange armchair staring blankly at the TV. He raised an eyebrow and frowned.  
  
"Celeste?" he asked, stepping closer to her.  
  
"I have to tell you something," she stated quietly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She turned to him, tears running down her cheeks as he stooped down in front of her.  
  
"I-I'm, uh, I'm pregnant."  
  
He blinked. Once. Twice. "Okay." He paused. "Is it mine?"  
  
If there was a slow motion instant replay to life, you would be able to pinpoint the exact moment her mood shifted from anxious and unsure to extremely pissed off. Her eyes squinted menacingly and turned a shade of black so dark, light could never return from its depths. Her face was twisted in an enraged scowl.  
  
Kyden, as Khivar, may have been the most ruthless warlord Antar, heck, the whole Lythian system had ever seen, but even he knew when to back down and this was definitely a time to duck for cover.  
  
"Is it yours?!" she shrieked. "No, I know you did not just ask me that. Look here, little man," she yelled, poking him in the chest with a perfectly manicured index finger. "I don't know who you think you are, coming in here and treating me like some $2 whore off the street! Well, I ain't takin' it!" She'd backed him up into a corner, his eyes wide with fear. "Is it mine?" she mocked in a high-pitched voice. "Please! Like I spread it around for every Tom, Dick and Joe that passes."  
  
"I think it's Harry," he put in.  
  
"Shut up! You're busy questioning my fidelity when you should be explaining how I got this." She lifted her shirt revealing two tiny silver handprints on either side of her navel. Khivar's hand reached out to touch it, but she backed away. "Do you have something to tell me?"  
  
"I'm an, uh, an alien." She nodded, gesturing for him to continue. "I'm the King of Antar and Carnath, that makes him," he gestured to the handprint, "my heir." He studied her face. "You don't look surprised."  
  
"I'm not. My father knew one of your kind, a shapeshifter." Kyden's interest peaked at that. "Screwed him over real good."  
  
"I won't do that to you, baby," he said, trying to sweet talk his way back into her good graces. After all, she was bearing the heir to his thrones, and as an added bonus, she seemed to know where the shifter was, or had been, which would inevitably lead him straight to the Granolith ahead of schedule. He cupped her cheek and smiled when she didn't pull away. "I'll be here for you and our baby."  
  
"Really?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.  
  
"Really." He kissed her forehead, then pulled away. "You know, seeing you so pissed off made me all hot."  
  
Kissing him softly, she whispered. "I know. I can feel it." She rolled her hips against him slightly.  
  
Kyden let out a groan before attacking her lips. Celeste moaned, grasping his hair in her hands. He was always a good kisser.  
  
Too bad.  
  
With the force of twenty football players, she rammed her knee in his groin. Kyden's bloodcurdling scream of pain could be heard from miles away as he dropped to his knees, hands cupping his balls in agony. He was in too much pain to even attempt to heal it, let alone think about retaliating.  
  
"Aw, did I hurt you, baby?" she asked with an innocent pout. He nodded, moving his hand to wipe away the tears that formed in his eyes.  
  
She smirked. Fatal mistake. With barely a second to aim, she swung her leg back and landed her foot right where it hurt the most. Again.  
  
Kyden's mouth hung open in a silent scream of pure unadulterated pain as his head turned an outstanding shade of fire engine red and the blue veins in his forehead stood on end as the blood rushed around his head.  
  
"Yeah, I hope it hurts, you jerk!" she screamed in his ear, spitting on him. "That's for thinking you could charm me that easily." She nudged him with the pointed toe of her boot. "Get out! Now!"  
  
Kyden struggled to get up on shaky legs, then, with a final glance back, he limped out the door.  
  
**************************** *************************  
  
So, what do you think? 


	22. Chapter TwentyTwo

**DISCLAIMER: **Roswell's not mine…Buffy's not mine…Angel's not mine…heck, the song I use in this part isn't mine either. It's "Our Song" by Hoobastank. But, hey, Cortenia and Celeste are totally my creation…okay, fine, I may have stolen Cortenia.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hey, everybody! I think exams fried my brains, 'cause I actually wrote a part with Liz Parker in it for more than five minutes. Odd. I surprise myself. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Please review.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO 

_June 19th 2002_

_My name is Liz Parker and exactly 2 years and 9 months ago, I died. Exactly two and three-quarter years ago, to the day, I was healed by an alien, one of eleven survivors of the famous Roswell Crash in 1947. And for the past two and half years, I've been living a life that most people would hardly believe existed. In all that time our little group has experienced joy, pain, fear and betrayal. We lost one of our own, granted an unwanted member, to the other side. You've been there, you've seen it. Or at least I've documented every stage of that life. Except this last year. Here's where it gets even more unbelievable. _

_Maria is a vampire slayer. One of the only three in the world. It's her calling, her destiny, to kill these beasts and rid the world of evil. With that came the Scooby Gang. Buffy, Dawn, Giles, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Spike. Together, they trained us into a virtually unstoppable mini army. _

_They say there's no rest for the wicked. Before now I never knew how true that was, because just a few months after getting rid of who I thought was our biggest threat, we found out about a prophecy. One who comes from the light to bring darkness. Khivar. It was prophesised thousands of years ago that Khivar would come to Earth and Michael and Maria were destined to fight him. It seems Max and I aren't the only ones written in the stars. They are The Chosen. Together with their protectors, and their loyal friends, they fought and we won. We sent Khivar scurrying back to Antar with his tail hanging between his legs. But it came with a price._

_Maria._

_I thought I knew pain when we thought Alex had died and it was our fault for trusting that bitch, Tess. But nothing, nothing could prepare me for seeing my best friend lying dead in her lover's arms as he sobbed above her broken and bloodied bones._

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rath was the first up the hill. At first, he didn't see anything, but then he heard it. The gut wrenching sobs. Looking across he saw a body, much like his own, kneeling in front of something, back shaking with grief. The others came up beside him, all looking in the same direction he was.  

Liz gasped, bringing a hand up to her mouth as her jaw dropped in shock and tears of grief made their way down her cheeks.

"Oh my god," Isabel mumbled. "Max, do something."

Max slowly walked over to the rocking figure and put a hand on his shoulder. Michael didn't even acknowledge his presence.

"Michael..." Max didn't know what else to say.

Michael's head snapped up suddenly, as if he just noticed someone there.

"Max!" He grabbed Max's hand and pulled him down to his level. "Heal her. You can heal her, right? You have to." Michael stared into the eyes of his best friend. "Please."

Pulling the arrow out of her flesh, Max laid his hand on her chest and concentrated on repairing the hole, restarting her heart and reviving the dead. Slowly he released his power.

And nothing happened.

With a sigh, he opened his eyes, shaking his head at Michael. She was already dead.

"No. Nonono, you have to try harder, Max." Michael looked around frantically. "Zan? What about you? Rath? Anybody?" 

Both Rath and Zan dropped to their knees and held their hands above her still body, not wanting to give Michael false hope, but not wanting to give up without trying. Still, nothing happened. Her chest remained still, and her eyes remained open, staring blankly at the sky above. 

Shaking his head, Rath dropped his hand to his side. Looking at her expressionless face, he gently closed her eyes and put an arm around his brother.

"She's gone," he murmured. "Come on."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_I thought I knew fear when we figured out that the aliens that we'd grown to love were about to leave the planet with a murderer. I thought I knew fear when Max got captured by Pierce and the Special Unit. I thought I knew fear when I was shot in the middle of the Crashdown and knew I was going to die._

But now I know. Fear is worse when caused by the ones you thought you could trust the most. Your friends. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Where is he?" he spat.

"I don't know," she said, snidely. 

Michael cocked his head to one side, and she levitated at least a foot above the ground. She gasped as her feet dangled in the air.

"Where is he? Where would Khivar go?" he growled.

"I won't betray him. He will rule the planets, and he will kill you and the rest."

"Not a good time to be loyal, Lonnie," said Zan as he saw the glow in Michael's eyes grow brighter.

"Why? He won't kill me. He don't have it in 'im."

Michael squinted at her, then turned away. Lonnie smiled smugly at him, behind his back, only to frown as she felt a burning sensation that started in the pit of her stomach and spread to the rest of her body. 

The Scooby gang watched in amazement as Lonnie's body started shaking uncontrollably. Lonnie screamed as her body exploded from the inside, pieces of flesh flying in every direction as her cells scattered into the night air. 

Michael had already turned to Tess, red eyes glaring at her slight form. With a slight gesture of his head, her body lifted off the ground. 

"Where is he?"

"I- I don't know."

He raised his hand, palm outstretched, as if he was going to blast her. Tess flinched closed her eyes in preparation for the blast. She cracked one eye open when the blast never came. He was still staring straight at her. When she opened her eyes to look back at him, he closed his hand a bit. Tess grabbed at her throat, gasping for breath as he pressed down on her oesophagus, cutting of her air supply.

"Mich-Michael, please," she pleaded.

"This is not Michael. There is no Michael. He died with Maria," he growled. "This is Deimon. Now, where is that bastard?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Deimon. A ghost from the past. The distant past. Two lifetimes ago for Michael. No longer was he the sweet little boy that Michael described from his visions who wanted nothing more than to be with his mother. No, this was the face of half of one that could not, would not, accept that someone, let alone his own flesh and blood, would dare kill the love of his life. Deimon was a force not to be messed with.

_I know I've always thought that Michael was intimidating, bordering on scary. But that was before I knew him. The real him. But Deimon…he was the first time I realised how dangerous Michael could be._

_But things got better. Michael somehow brought Maria back from the dead, perhaps a side effect of the connection they got from the prophecy, and Deimon had left the building. But that didn't mean his memory didn't live on. Michael remembers every single moment of his few minutes in control of his body and feels guilty for it every day. It took him months to even stay alone in the same room with Isabel, and up to now he can barely look her in the eyes. Max tried to convince him that it wasn't him and that it was Lonnie that died, not Isabel, but nothing helped. He still felt guilty. Maria told me that he's still haunted by the look in her eyes the moment he lifted her off the ground with his powers, and the sounds of her screams as she exploded. It sounded like Isabel, and he felt horrible._

_We finally told our parents the truth, the whole truth. They were shocked that night as the story unfolded, but they weren't the only ones. _

_*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

"Well, since the whole story is out, I think we should all go home and get some rest," Max announced. There were some mumbled agreements around the room. It was five o'clock in the morning.

"The whole story's not out," Serena stated quietly from her space on Oz's lap. She took a deep breath, preparing to drop the bomb. Oz gently rubbed her back in silent support as she brought her hands to her face, taking out her contacts to reveal a pair of piercing grey eyes. "There's something I haven't told you…about myself, something I didn't realise until tonight."

"What is it?" asked Willow.

"It's about Khivar." She paused again, bracing herself for their reaction. "I think…I think he's my father."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was shocked to say the least, I mean all this time she was helping us, fighting with us, and she was related to the enemy…though, technically, so was Michael.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Isabel shook her head in disbelief. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, but I thought I heard you say Khivar was your father."

"I-I did. He is. I remember him, sort of. I remember that we hated him. I remember that he never treated our mother well. I remember the day he left…"

"We? What-who's we?" Maria asked.

"Me and Lindsay. My twin brother."

The whole room sat there in shocked silence as Serena curled up further on Oz's lap. 

"So, where is your brother now?" Liz asked.

"I don't know. Last I heard from him, he was on the run. He'd broken contract with the law firm he was working on and he was pretty sure they were gonna kill him."

Cordelia frowned in realisation. "Wait. No no no no. Lindsay? Please tell me it's not Lindsay McDonald. Wolfram and Hart?" At Serena's nod, she let out an exasperated snort of laughter. "Great. This is getting ridiculous, I mean, is there anybody here who's not related to Khivar?"

 Angel studied her face. "I guess I do see the resemblance, now that you mention it."

"How could this happen?" Max asked.

"Do I really need to explain the logistics of it? My mom and Khivar obviously had sex at some point in the seventies. She told me they met at a bar in New York. She was drunk and he was buying, the rest was history."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That was one revelation that completely caught me by surprise. I mean, I never would have guessed it. Then again, I never would have guessed that my best friend was quarter alien.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because I didn't know, all right? I didn't know it was him until I saw him. He was only around off and on for the first seven years of my life and even then he never bothered with me. The only one he cared about was Lindsay. Once, he even took him away for two whole months. I don't know where he took him or what he did to him, but Lindsay didn't move or say a word or even blink for about three months. Then, he just cried. Kept talking about the lady. Hurting the lady who took Grandma Lith."

"The Granoltih?"

"Probably." She shrugged. "That was the last straw. My mother had had enough of his crap. I mean, he'd leave for months on end and when he came back, it was only for a few weeks. Even when he was around, he wasn't there. He'd ignore us and spend all his time with Lindsay and some other boy. I think he called him…"

"Nicholas?"

"Yeah, that. I wasn't even alive to him, and that last time my mother kicked him out, he was dead to me and he left her to almost the same fate." Serena paused to wipe at the tears that were forming in her eyes. Oz rocked her back and forth, his arms around her, whispering soothingly in her ear.

"You don't have to go on if you don't want to," he said softly, kissing her forehead.

"No, I can do this." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "It was after Lindsay's break from silence. My father had told her that it was a family trait on his side that boys stayed silent for three years of their lives. And she believed him, because, really, she shouldn't expect less seeing as he was an alien." 

"She knew?"

"Yeah, but that's a funny story for another time." She smiled wistfully of a memory technically not her own, but described perfectly and in vivid colour by her mother. "While he was out doing whatever it is he did, she packed up all his things and left 'em out on the front lawn. When he got back, he was furious. She was sitting in the living room waiting for him to get back. She knew he wasn't gonna take this well, so she made us promise to stay upstairs no matter what we heard. They were screaming at each other for a good hour before…before the first punch was thrown."

"He hit her?" Liz asked. It shouldn't have been much of a shock. This was Khivar, the man that killed his own sister just to take her throne. 

"Not that first time. I know she doesn't sound it, but my mom was a tough woman. She didn't just take crap from anybody. No, that first punch…that was hers. I can still remember his scream. She always did know where to aim." She smirked wickedly. The guys winced in sympathy as they imagined where that was. "He was no stranger to that kind of pain. She kicked him there twice in a row when she told him about us." She shook her head grinning. "A word of advice, guys? Do not ask the mother of your child if it's yours. They're words of death. Learn from my father's mistakes." She sobered. "But this time, she wasn't carrying the heir to his thrones, so he didn't hold back. By the time he left, she was just a bloody heap on the floor. That's how we found her."

"Did she…?"

"No. She's still kicking. Lindsay bought her a condo in Florida last year. She loves it there. No, one of the neighbours must have heard all the screaming and crying and called the cops."

"That's terrible," Mrs. Evans commented.

"She was in a coma for a week. The first thing she saw when she woke up was his eyes, our eyes staring back at her. She freaked out. I'll never forget the look on her face. The fear and contempt. Not something you want to see your own mother look at you with. The doctor made us leave to keep her stress level to a minimum so as to prevent a relapse. We didn't get to see her for another week, but by then, the damage was done."

"Her father, Riverdog, was taking care of us at the time. When she was released, we came straight here. To Roswell. The house and everything in it that even had any kind of reference to Kyden McDonald were sold or destroyed. We never saw him again. My mother, she never resented or regretted us, but our eyes. They hurt too much. She could barely make herself look into them. We can barely stand to look at ourselves in the mirror. That's why I wear these." She showed them the dark brown contacts. "Lindsay's are blue…or they were last time I saw him." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We never did find Lindsay. Serena tried every place she knew him to go, and every friend she knew him to have. Isabel even tried to dreamwalk him, but it was like he'd just dropped off the face of the Earth. Serena probably wouldn't want to hear this, but it's better that way. From what Angel told us, he wasn't a very nice guy. Sure, he did good once and a while, but it's his nature to be evil. I mean, look at his father.  I would rather Serena had a dead brother than have someone else trying to hurt Max. I'm glad that Wolfram and Hart got him before he could even attempt to take Max's throne away from him.

Three days later, Sean Deluca returned from a court hearing in Albuquerque. That's when Maria's grandmother cornered him to finally tell him the truth about his origins. You would expect him to freak out, I mean, his grandmother was an alien, but he just laughed and said that he always wondered how he could pick locks so well and yet couldn't teach anybody else how to do it.  

For two months after that, all we did was train for the impending war, because one defeat would not keep Khivar away forever. I thought that there could never be anyone more controlling than Isabel at Christmas time. I was wrong. Kaylanna Dehlookhar jumped on our backs the first chance she got, training us like the ruthless army general she was. She said she learned from the master himself. I somehow have a hard time believing that Michael or Rath could be such a stickler for perfection. It shows that it is scientifically impossible to completely remake the same person twice, or three times in this case.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

"Come on! My grandmother can shoot better than that!"

It was December 4th and while everyone else on Earth was out busy shopping, decorating their houses and wrapping Christmas presents, the Scooby Gang was out in the desert being controlled by a new kind of Nazi: The Army Nazi. The last battle made the war more real to them. Khivar was over-confident and therefore underestimated their power. He wouldn't again, and he certainly wouldn't come back to fight them face-to-face. No. This time he would want the fight to be on his turf. And Kaylanna Dehlookhar had no doubt in her mind that he would have no problem with destroying an innocent planet in an attempt to get rid of them. The Granolith was too good a prize to give up that easily. 

"'Anna, your grandmother is dead!" Rath called.

"See? That's how much you suck." Rath rolled his eyes and went back to target practice.

Kaylanna shook her head at him. Back on Antar, she admired his skill as a General, from afar anyway. From what she'd heard from the soldiers, he was the best out there. It was from stories of him, and stories from him that she learned how to lead an army. It was how she became the commander of her own troops. She was sad to say that she thought he was softening up a tad in his old…young…whatever age.

"Gimme a break. I haven't handled a gun in fifty five years," he complained as he got a bull's eye for the 15th time in a row. 

"Stop making excuses, general. You're still taking too much time to aim. If I was your enemy, you'd be dead by now." 

"I still say it'd be easier if we just blasted 'em," Michael said.

"Think about it, Michael. If you just got your ass kicked, would you want to return to the scene of the crime? No. If…when this war goes down, it's sure as hell gonna be on Antar where you'll probably have no powers and he'll have all the resources. We have to be prepared."

"When did you become such a dictator?"

"When my best friend was burned alive at the stake right in front of my eyes and I knew that it was my fault."

"What?" Rath put down his gun and looked at her. "How could it possibly be your fault?"

"It's my fault you met Nikaid. It's my fault that he knows you so well. If I didn't introduce the two of you…maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"How? What are you talking about? Khivar would have still come after us. You know that," Rath reasoned.

"Yeah, but he wouldn't have inside information on the General. With Nikaid's knowledge of who you were, what you were like, your ways in general," she said, shaking her head. "It was easy for him to guess what you'd do, how you'd create your strategies, and counteract."

"Kaylanna…"

"And to top it off, I'm the one that drove Nikaid to the other side. He did it to spite you, to spite me. It's my fault."

"How do you know he wouldn't have chosen that side anyway? You don't. Half the population hated Zan. They would have betrayed him anyway. Nikaid wasn't the only one who could give information on me. It could've been any one of my soldiers. It's not your fault, 'Anna," Rath said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever. Forget it, we still have training to do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Slayer Mansion became our very own POW camp with our first captive being that evil hell beast Tess Harding. 

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

"Where is Khivar?"

Tess squinted into the bright light as she was questioned for the third hour straight. It was hard to believe that just days ago she'd had hundreds of servants at her feet and a whole planet at her mercy. Now, she was restricted to the cramped quarters of a dining room chair with only the ropes that bound her as company. She missed her power. She missed her freedom. Most of all, she missed her son. She tugged at the ropes around her wrists. It was impossible. There was no knot she could undo. That bastard, Michael, made sure of that. He sealed the two ends of the rope with his powers and, on top of that, he and Rath worked together to make it denser so that she couldn't break through. Courtney apparently had some of the power inhibitor that Nicholas used on Rath and Michael so of course, she didn't have her powers anyway. However, whenever she was being interrogated, they sent her double to make sure she wasn't trying to mindwarp them. She had to admit they ran a tight operation.

"I still think would be more effective if we just tortured her," Wesley said.

Tess rolled her eyes. It was the only hitch in their little organisation. They had the two old British guys playing Good cop/Bad cop and it was not working at all. If anything, the good cop looked more intimidating than the bad cop and the bad cop was just about boring her to death with the same threats over and over again. She could see Ava smirking at them through the whole thing, which killed any lingering effects it even vaguely had. 

"Tess, will ya just tell 'em?" Ava said. She was clearly very amused.

"No. I won't give Khivar up."

Wesley sprang up and grabbed her by the shirt collar, bringing his face close to hers. "You will tell us, and you'll do it now!" He shouted menacingly…or as menacingly as Wesley could shout. Tess sighed. This was going to be a long day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took a full week to get anything out of her. I suppose the pressure finally got to her. I don't understand how someone like her could possibly have been a Queen in a former life if she couldn't take a little bit of pressure.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Michael glared down at the small blonde sitting in front of him, her head bent. Her once vibrant curls were hanging limply around her dirty face. Giving her a bath hadn't been high on their list of priorities. She shrunk under his regard, well as much as she could while tied to a chair. He sat with his arms crossed over his chest, not saying a word or moving a muscle.

Tess looked from the floor, to the ceiling, to the back wall, then back to the floor. Anywhere but his eyes. She was afraid of what she would see there. That same red glow that marked the change of personality. Deimon, he'd called himself. He was her worst fear. She'd seen what he could do. She saw what happened to Lonnie, what almost happened to her. She didn't want to die here, in this basement, her son light-years away, with Khivar. With that thought, she made her decision.

"Please," she croaked. Michael raised an eyebrow. "Please. Let me go."

"Why? So you can kill Liz? Or Kyle? Or Maria? Want to try for Alex again?"

"No, I…please."

"Give me one good reason why I should."

"Zan. I have to get back to him."

His brows furrowed. "Zan?" Max's dupe? What did he have to do with Tess?

"My son. I have to get him."

"How do I know there really is a  'son'? You could have been making the whole thing up in the first place."

"I'm not. Michael, he's there all alone. I've been here a week. He's been alone for a day and a half without me or Lonnie to take care of him. Who will take care of him?"

Michael still looked unconvinced. Just then, Max came down the stairs.

"Max, please. Tell him. You felt him. I have to go to him," Tess pleaded. Max glared at her.

"Are you going to talk?"

"Yes. Yes, I'll do it, okay? Just please. Let me go back home to Zan."

Max's face softened. "Is that his name? Zan?"

Tess smiled. "Zanther Kyle Harding Xalere."

"Xalere?"

"That was our last name…before…"

Max nodded. "Where's Khivar?"

"I-I don't know. H-he could have went back to Antar. Maybe Carnath."

"How? We didn't see a ship," Max said.

"He didn't need a ship. He opened a portal." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Turns out there are easier ways to get back to Antar. Apparently, Khivar found a hidden chamber in the royal archives of Carnath. In it, he found four books. The first was filled with practically gibberish. None of the words had any vowels, which made them hard to pronounce, and it wasn't in any known language so it wasn't easily translatable. The next was the book of the Wolf, as shown by the picture of the wolf on the front. It spoke of old prophecies from every world, every dimension imaginable. Prophecies of good, prophesies of evil and prophesies of neither, just the ramblings of an ancient people. Near the end, though, there was a passage no more understandable than the first book. The third was the book of the Ram, again, shown by the goat on the front. It contained stories of evil beings and creatures of power from each planet and dimension. This one also had an unintelligible passage in it. The final book was the book of the Deer, which Wesley later told us was, in fact, a Hart. It was the key to reading the other three. It was written in ancient Carnasian, but Khivar, obviously being one of the few remaining Carnasian royals, and thus one of the few people who could even read that language was able to decipher it. It held the key to the final passage of the book of Ram, which was a key to the book of Wolf, which was the final key to translating the first book, the Book of Destinations. It was in that book that Khivar mastered one of the mysteries of the universe. Wormholes.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The whole Scooby Gang was gathered in the basement around the small blonde alien that was bound to a dining room chair. 

"A-And this book, it contains spells that open portals to other worlds?" Giles asked in amazement, absentmindedly cleaning his glasses.

"It's like the spell we used to travel to Pylea. Perhaps it is a version of the same book. There were books of Wolf, Ram and Hart in their holy temple which leads me to believe that there may be a copy on every world," Wesley said in his usual understated, but very excited way. He blushed a little at his next confession. "I, uh, still have that book back at the hotel. It, ah, must have slipped my mind to return it to the library."

"Ah, yes. Well. I suppose if it's for a good cause," Giles said. Wesley smiled and nodded.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. If I ever get like that, kindly stake me."

They ignored him. 

"Fred said they weren't spells, but coordinates…" Angel trailed off as he remembered where Fred was now, in fact, who she really was. 

"But we couldn't control where we went, though," Cordelia reminded them.

"You didn't have the key," Tess explained. "Without it, there's no way you could know where you're going."

"So, the portal probably took us to where it was supposed to, but we wouldn't know because we didn't know how to read the book," Gunn surmised.

"Exactly."

"Once again, Wolfram and Hart paves the way for evil," Cordelia said in irritation. Angel Inc. nodded in agreement.

"So if we found this book, the book of Hart, we could go back home?" Michael asked, slightly excited. He may have given up the chance to go home to be with Maria, and he may have found a home here on Earth, but that didn't mean that his boyhood dreams had relinquished their hold on his mind. 

Maria was slightly hurt by his comment. She still had her connection with Michael and knew that he didn't want to leave her, per se. Heck, Antar was technically her home, too. That didn't mean she didn't still have some insecurities. Michael, sensing her thoughts, squeezed her hand in his, before turning back to Tess.

"No. You need all three. It won't make sense otherwise," Tess insisted, pulling at her ropes. "Now, please, let me go? I have to get back to my son." Her blue eyes pleaded with the thirty odd people in the room. Max was about to untie her, when Michael stopped him.

"Wait a minute. How are you gonna get back?"

Tess sighed. She was hoping they wouldn't think about it and just let her leave because she had no doubt in her mind that Max would come bounding in like a great raving imbecile and try to take her son away from her, getting him killed in the process.

"A portal."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That was one of the happiest moments of my life, because Max gave up a free ride home to be with me. He didn't even consider leaving the planet for a son he never met, because the fact of the matter is, I mean more to him than anything Tess could ever offer. We share heart, mind and soul, and all she ever had was body, and she had to use her powers to get it.

Michael still made her give us the spell, though, so that they could go home when they were ready. Sometimes I feel so sorry for Maria that Michael isn't more like Max. It's so insensitive of him to be looking for ways home when she's standing right there. He's basically telling her that he wants to leave her. It's not right.

Speaking of great moments, the highlight of my very existence came that Valentine's Day. February 14th, 2002, was a day I will remember forever.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maria walked into the Crashdown, practically bouncing on her toes as she searched the sea of faces for the two most important people in her life. Michael and Liz. Finally, she spotted Michael's sweaty form sitting in a booth with Rath and Faith, stealing fries from his brother's plate.

"Dude, get your own," Faith said, munching on a burger, not ashamed by the fact that it was actually Rath's burger. Michael stuck out his tongue at her before picking up more fries in spite.

Rath pulled the plate closer to himself, covering it with his arms. "What, do I look like a caterer to you? Both of you get your own."

Faith pouted at him, then put on a sly smile trying to seduce him into sharing. Michael glared at her. That was unfair! She was pulling a card that he couldn't use. That was illegal usage of his brother's libido to get food. Faith smirked in triumph as Rath handed her some of his fries.

"Traitor. You gonna pick some girl over your own flesh and blood?" Michael whined. Rath just shrugged and went back to what remained of his meal.

Maria laughed at their antics as she slid into the booth next to Michael. He instantly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close, making his irritation at Rath's behaviour known before pulling her in for a long sucking kiss for comfort.

"Hello! People tryin' to eat here!" Rath exclaimed, tossing a fry at Michael's head. Michael waved a choice finger at him, continuing his passionate kiss with Maria only partly out of spite. Sucking on his bottom lip, Maria pulled away, grinning excitedly like an idiot.

"What's up, chick? That grin's blinding people in Texas," Faith said.

"I just found out, it's so great! Like, the best thing ever!" she babbled excitedly.

"What is?" Michael laughed.

"You know that gig we have tomorrow with The Whits?"

They nodded. How could they not know it? She had been going on about it for ages. They were playing at Club ET on Valentine's Day and there would no doubt be a huge crowd. Sure, they'd played there before, but this was the first time they were headlining it. The original headliners pulled out at the last minute giving the owners no choice but to give the opening act their spot. The Whits were more than happy to oblige.

"Well, I just heard the news. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I found out anyway," she went on, leaning forward as if sharing a big conspiracy. "There's gonna be a talent scout from Island Records there," she squealed. "Do you realise what that means? We could get discovered! And get a contract, and studio time, and make a record and be on MTV…" She listed the possibilities on her fingers, practically bouncing in her seat.

"Freakin' A! That's great, kid!" Faith exclaimed, punching her on the shoulder, before reaching over to give her a hug over the table. "Don't forget us little people who helped you slay vamps back in the day."

"So, Maria," Rath said, sliding in the booth next to her, squishing Michael in the corner. "My bestest buddy, you know, you're my favourite girl. There's this sweet black convertible I saw the other day. I'm thinkin' birthday present."

"For me?"

"Naw! For me! You're the one with talent scouts and record companies." He batted his eyelashes at her and she smacked him in the arm, giggling.

"You don't have a birthday."

"We can make one! When's a good time? How 'bout July? Just in time for cruisin' down to Miami."

Maria rolled her eyes at him and shoved him out of the booth, unable to hold back her laughter long enough to scowl at him. She turned to Michael who still hadn't said anything.

"Well? What do you think?" she asked. There was this funny look on his face that she just couldn't place. Without saying a word, he pulled her into a mind-blowing kiss. Maria moaned into his mouth as his lips attacked hers and their connection opened up. She could feel what he was feeling and it was a mixture of surprise, happiness, love and…pride. He was proud of her. Although she hadn't really done anything yet, he was proud of the very effort she was making to follow her dreams. They were interrupted by a loud voice.

"Hey, Guerin! If you're done giving the whole restaurant a peep show, think ya could give us a little help here?" Jose called from the kitchen window. 

Michael pulled away from Maria, giving her dozens of light kisses on the way there. They rested their foreheads against each other, both panting for breath. "I'll see you later?" Michael asked softly. She nodded. With one last kiss, he pushed her out of the booth, then slid out and headed back to the Crashdown kitchen. Maria just stared after him, bemused.

"Damn, girl," Faith exclaimed. She turned to Rath. "How come you don't kiss me like that, G?" she asked, shoving him. 

"Please. I got mad skills. That punk ain't got nothing on me. I just don't give it up front like that. I ain't no ho. Rath lovin' don't come cheap."

"Uh-huh?" Faith nibbled on his ear a little, blatantly groping him.

He groaned. "Catch ya later, Maria," he said, hastily pulling Faith out of the booth. Faith laughed as she was dragged out of the restaurant and down the street to Rath's apartment.

************************* ****************************

"Ohmygodohmygodohmyfreakinggod," Maria mumbled wringing her hands as she paced backstage. The place was packed, she was nervous as hell and she was pretty sure she was about to throw up at any given moment.

Across the room, Alex, Marco, Nicky and Oz sat watching the lead singer of their band have a panic attack. After the performance at Xander and Anya's wedding, they'd decided that Oz would be a great addition to The Whits. He was great on the guitar, and his experience with The Dingoes Ate My Baby helped them land a lot more gigs with better pay. He was a godsend.

"Dude…she's not gonna flake out on us, is she?" Nicky asked.

"No. I have faith in Maria. She'll pull through," Alex said. 'I hope.' 

Oz closed his eyes and started taking really slow, really deep breaths. Cracking open one eye, he looked at his arm. His hair was looking a wee bit thicker than usual.

"Uh, Alex?" He gestured to his arm.

"Oh, crap!" Alex pulled Oz to the side, looking around to make sure the others didn't notice.

"Can't you do something? A chant? A dance? Rum and coke?"

"I just need you to calm Maria down or something, 'cause I don't think a werewolf on the rampage would be a very good show…well, it would, but nobody would live to spread the word." He patted Alex on the back. "I'm gonna go outside for a while. See what you can do, huh?" With that, he walked out the door.

"Maria, you need to calm down, Oz is turning," Alex whispered to his hyperventilating friend. 

"Oh God. This is my fault. And I'm gonna choke, and ruin the show, and puke on the audience and…oh god."

"Where's your cedar oil?" When she didn't answer, he dug around in her purse 'til he found it. "Breathe."  She took a deep breath, taking in the soothing scent of the cedar and relaxed. "That better?" She nodded. "Keep smelling it. I'm gonna go check on Oz."

******************************* *****************************

It was halfway through The Whits' performance and they were a big hit. Some people were dancing on the floor in the middle of the club; others were jumping in front of the stage, watching the show from up close, and a few strange people were moshing, which was weird since none of their songs were hard enough to warrant it. The whole of the Pod section of the Scooby gang, namely Michael, Max, Liz, Isabel, Rath, Faith, Zan, Ava, and Kyle, and a few others, namely Serena, Dawn, and Connor were all out there to support their friends in the band. 

Angel Inc. had eventually left Roswell and went back to L.A., but Connor had insisted on staying. He liked it here. The people were nice, they didn't treat him as if he was a baby, and they didn't look at him like they expected him to come to his senses and give them a hug. It also didn't hurt that Dawn was there, too. Angel, not about to deny his son anything agreed, though reluctantly. As of January 2002, Connor Angel was enrolled in West Roswell High and living in the Slayer mansion.

Michael, Serena, Isabel, Max and Liz were all sitting at a table on the far side of the room, watching their friends away from the crowd.

"Don't they look great?" Isabel asked, smiling at her boyfriend who was jumping around on stage with his band.

Michael grunted and glared at a group of guys who were standing a little too close to Maria for his liking.

"Danny is so much happier now that he's playing in a band again," Serena commented as Oz launched into a squealing guitar solo. "This is a great song!"

Isabel nodded, looking over to her brother and Liz who had yet to say anything. Max kept sticking his hand in his pocket, then pulling it out, then looking at Liz, then sticking it there again. He looked demented and Liz looked worried. Knowing what her brother was planning, she decided to help him out.

"I wanna dance!" Isabel said, pulling Michael and Serena up. "Michael, you're taking us."

"What? But I don't want to…"

"Come on," Isabel ordered, dragging him onto the dance floor.

"Hey, guys! We're The Whits!" Maria yelled from the stage as the song ended. She paused as the crowd screamed. She laughed. "You guys are a great crowd!" There was another round of "Woos" and "Yeahs" in the audience. "But, you know, good things come to an end, right? We have just one more song for you. Wanna hear it?" They cheered. "This is one I wrote with Alex, that's this geek here with the bass." She pointed at him and he did a silly bow. "It's dedicated some very special people who are here tonight. You know who you are." She searched the crowd for Michael and winked at him. "This is called 'Our Song'."

Nicky started with a soft guitar riff and Maria started swaying to the beat. Eight bars later, she came in with the bass and drums.

For some reason  
we've had the same dreams and acted on our love  
and now look where we are     
  


Oz came in on lead guitar playing a sort of echo to what she was singing.

And the times when we don't get along  
have only made us strong  
I know we all will say  
it was worth the pain     
  


Nicky turned on the distortion on his guitar and began playing driving rock chords as Oz continued to play a different riff over the whole mix. The crowd started jumping to the beat as Maria started belting out the chorus.

"Max, are you okay?" Liz asked, looking him in the eyes.

"Yeah, I'm uh, I'm fine." He held her hands in his.

  
When we'll all be gathered around  
knowing the love we gave's not a waste  
you know they will know it's true  
that when the day when we'll all be gathered around comes  
and I know it's not far away I hope  
we will know     
  


Michael stood directly in front of Maria in the crowd, lost in another world as brown eyes met green and held them. It was the same for Alex and Isabel, and Oz and Serena.

Nicky went back to the soft riff of the verse and Oz stopped playing.

And still today I wonder how it all became like this  
as if drawn by unseen force  
we arrived  
in one specific place  
for all our dreams to chase  
and though we did not show  
I think we all did know  

"Max, you've been fidgeting all night. What's wrong?" Liz asked, worry apparent in her big, brown eyes. Max looked away, took a deep breath then cleared his throat.

"Liz, since the first moment I saw you, I loved you and I feel like the luckiest half-human on the planet because you love me back. You're pure...you're-you're true... and...you're real. And right now that seems like the only thing that's important. I want to be with you Liz...forever." He pulled out the object he had hidden in the depths of his pocket. A red velvet box. Liz gasped as he opened the box and she saw the simple gold band with the small diamond in the middle. "Liz Parker, will you marry me?"  
  
When we'll all be gathered around  
knowing the love we gave's not a waste  
you know they will know it's true  
that when the day when we'll all be gathered around comes  
and I know it's not far away I hope  
we will know     
  


Connor and Dawn were in the middle of the fray on the dance-floor, dancing as close to each other as they could manage without letting the other know how they felt. Suddenly, Connor bent down and snatched Dawn's lips up in a passionate kiss. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to try it. She didn't protest as she wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to his kiss whole-heartedly. 

When things  
got rough  
we still  
found a way  
and now our time is today     
  


Oz turned his volume all the way up and launched into a huge solo, showing off his skills. Maria started singing over him.

  
When we'll all be gathered around  
knowing the love we gave's not a waste  
you know they will know it's true  
that when the day when we'll all be gathered around comes  
and I know it's not far away I hope  
we will know  
  
When things  
got rough  
we still  
found a way  

_*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_I can't even believe it. Max Evans proposed to me, Liz Parker. I'm engaged to a genetically engineered clone of a dead king from another planet. Well, it sounds ridiculous when you put it that way, but this is what I've wanted ever since the day Max healed me at the Crashdown and I saw into his soul. Of course, our parents protested. They thought we were too young, and my mom and dad still weren't happy about the fact that Max isn't exactly human. But we don't care, because we love each other and that's all that matters. Nothing will ever keep us apart again. _

Liz put down her pen and glanced at the diamond ring she donned on her left hand, then glanced up at Max who was concentrating on the road ahead as he drove them to their destination.

"Are we almost there yet?" she asked.

"Just another ten minutes, honey," he said sweetly. 

Isabel made a gagging noise from the back seat. "Please. If you guys keep this up I am definitely going to be sick."

Liz turned in her seat to stick her tongue out at her future sister-in-law before settling back down to finish writing in her journal.

Graduation. For everyone, I think, it elicits thoughts about the future that every teenager manages to ignore through their years of high school. In fact, most people don't know where they're going to be in the next ten minutes let alone the next ten years. 

_Not for us, though. We knew exactly where we were going after graduation. We were going to fight a war on another planet to help free two worlds from the enslavement of Khivar's tyrannical rule. We knew that the moment Alex, Willow and Serena finally cracked the code of the Book of Destinations. Who needs three books with translation keys when you have three computer geeks to make a decoding program to read it for you? Serena, who was also really good at physics, spent some time at Angel's hotel trying to decipher the writings Fred left on her wall, trying to figure out how the spells worked. She sort of figured it out, but it sounded like gibberish to the rest of us, no matter how well she explained it. Even I couldn't figure it out. I guess high school biology is no match for University level physics._

_That's what leads us to this point. It's June 19th, the day after graduation, and we're headed off to end a fight that's been going on for way too long. We're going to another planet to wage a war against the greatest evil we will ever meet. Khivar. _

Liz closed her journal and looked up as the jeep pulled up behind the Jetta in front of the Pod Chamber. Soon after five more cars pulled up beside them: the Slayer minivan, Angel's black convertible, The Whitmans' family car, and the Evans' family car. Everyone came to say goodbye.

The Pod Squad led their family and friends to the place where it all started. Waving a hand over a slab of rock, a silver handprint appeared, and Max Evans rested his hand on it, opening a door made of solid rock. One by one, they all ducked into the cave. It was a little cramped, but nobody cared. This was the last time they would all be together, at least for now. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

"Wow," Diane said, touching one of the pods gently. "This is where you were born?"

"Yeah, that's my pod," Max answered. "Michael's is next to mine and Isabel's is under his."

"We have to go into the Granolith Chamber," Willow said, finally breaking the silence. "The portal will open easier 'cause there's probably a lot of supernatural energy there."

Max nodded. "Let's go," he said, bending down to crawl through Isabel's pod.

"What are you doing?" Cortenia asked, confused.

"Going into the Granolith Chamber," Max said slowly.

"Why don't you just open the door?" she asked, waving a hand over the far wall. A silver handprint appeared, much like the one on the front door. She pressed her palm firmly against it and concentrated. With a slight glow of her hand, the cave began to rumble and the wall that held the pods rose to reveal the Granolith Chamber.

"Duh, Max, really," Kaylanna said, walking into the chamber followed closely by her sister.

"That was there all the time?" Isabel exclaimed. "Do you know how many outfits I've ruined from crawling in and out of that hole?" 

Willow walked to the centre of the room and closed her eyes, her senses singing at the feel of the power that once was there. She opened the Book of Destinations and quickly found the page she wanted. The spell to send her friends back to Antar. She turned to look at each of them. "Are you ready?" They nodded. She read. "dnghnmtr fwqplkv mcbdfrthgyjklz."

Before her, a swirling vortex of blue, purple, red, silver and a tinge of yellow formed, starting as a tiny ball and growing until it was about six feet in diameter. The wormhole created a wind that whipped across their faces mercilessly.

"I'll go through first and make sure everything is safe," Kaylanna offered, stepping through the portal. 

Doing a quick round, Oz gave a quick hug to everybody in the Scooby Gang before stepping through the portal with Serena. Zan and Ava gave the Evans and Valentis quick goodbyes before joining them on the other side.

"I guess this is it," Max said, quietly. He walked over to his parents and gave each of them a hug before stepping back to stand next to Liz. Isabel choked on a sob as she wrapped her arms around her mother for the last time. The two cried in each other's arms for a few seconds before they were joined by Phillip Evans. Liz was also in a group hug situation with her parents. Finally they pulled away and joined Max on the side before joining hands and stepping through the portal.

Amy Deluca hugged and kissed her mother goodbye. Cortenia was barely out of the way before Maria ran into her mother's arms and squeezed her for all she was worth, trying to memorise everything about her before she had to leave.

"I'll be waiting here for you sweetie," Amy whispered in her ear, before letting her go. Maria nodded, wiping her face, before clinging to Michael. "You take care of my little girl." Michael nodded as they stepped through the portal, Cortenia in their wake.

The Whitmans produced two small gift-wrapped boxes for their two children. Alex was leaving them again and Faith was leaving before they even got to know her fully. With a kiss on each forehead, they said their quiet goodbyes and sent their kids on their way. Alex stepped through the portal to find Isabel as Faith stopped in front of Buffy.

"Sure you don't wanna come kick some alien ass, B?"

"I'm sure. Besides, somebody's got to stay here and keep up the slayer legacy." She smiled and pulled her into a hug.

Faith joined Rath and together they walked through the portal.

"Bye, dad," Kyle said, exchanging a manly hug with Jim. "Hey, when we get back, maybe we could go fishing."

Jim laughed, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes. "We will, son. We will." 

Kyle kissed Amy on the cheek, then stepped through the wormhole.

There was silence in the cave as the last person stepped through and the vortex closed. And Amy collapsed in tears as she realised what they all had to come to terms with.

They were gone…and they were never coming back.

 *************************** *************************

**_The End_**

Well? What do you think?

Love it?

Hate it?

Is someone out there in the world sitting at their computer yelling, "Shut the hell up, moron, your story's complete crap?"


	23. Author's Note

Hey! No new part yet, sorry. Thanks to everyone that left a review. I really appreciate it. J 

Anyway, I was gonna add more chapters to this, but it sounds kinda finished as it is. And when I started writing Chapter 23 it sounded kind of strange coming right after the rest of it. I think it should be something separate, so I'm making a sequel instead. It's called "The Lost Prince". I already started, so it should be out by next week (I hope *fingers crossed*) I hope you guys like it as much as you liked The Chosen. 

Bye for now!

Thanx for reading!


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